Fate's Idea of Fun
by little furry cannibals
Summary: A J&B romance that throws all etiquette into the bonfire! Warning: Do not eat, drink or smoke while reading. Failure to comply could result in hazardous choking or burning. A fic for those who have a sense of humor.
1. Disclaiming Prologues

_Fate is often described as a force much like God. Tangible, yet not, more of a presence that is felt but not seen and on more than an infinite number of occasions, cursed. Maybe Fate is more like Satan than God, an evil entity depicted with hooved feet and horns ready to kick you when least expected. It certainly feels that way._

_Is Fate the same as destiny? If our lives were already predestined, Fate was not the creator. It was an entity (or group of), sitting on the sidelines, throwing curve-balls whenever life looked to easy. Fate may have had a hand in people meeting and falling in love, but love was a destiny all on it's own. Even couples who claimed to be soul-mates never fully understood love. Relationships could be well balanced but that usually meant that each person had an opposite view of things thus balancing them. How could they not see that if their likes, wants, ideas and hopes were completely identical that things wouldn't be balanced? That, specifically would put them both on the same side of the spectrum thus shifting them into an unbalanced relationship. The term 'irreconcilable differences' that so many couples used to dissolve their relationships was a misnomer. The underlying meaning to it was that,yes, there were differences but both parties had to be willing to reach out and meet in the middle. Why couldn't they see that there was always one leader in a relationship leaving the other to act as a follower. One to lead towards the center and the other to follow or meet in the middle. It didn't have to be a permanent scenario, the roles could be reversed, allowing for complete balance and harmony._

Sighing, I hit the save key and shut down the laptop before crawling into bed. I would be beyond excited to pass the damn sociology class and this was my final paper. I knew what had driven me to write it, I just couldn't exactly share it word for word with my professor. Imprinting. Webster's had it all wrong and Fate was having a blast. Dr. Konrad Lorenz was the noted scientist to observe and report the behavior of imprinting in geese. Wonder if he would have defined it differently if he had spent the same amount of time observing it in werewolves. The fucker probably would have laid a goose egg if he had even known about werewolves. Laughing quietly to myself over such a possibility, I rolled over , my thoughts turning deeper than I wanted.

No one had expected it to happen our generation, certainly the Elders didn't have a clue. It came at us like a force, the once dormant genes were activated in five of us within a two month time span. Another two months went by and our numbers had doubled. Despite our appearance,it was two years before our existence had meaning.

I was 17 the first time that it crossed our territory. Three of them were demolished before they even grasped the severity of our presence. Do myths believe in myths? We did, they however didn't have a clue. No one expects to be bested on the food chain, and while we may not have been above them we were, without a doubt, not below them. Some of the pack was galled to be thought of as equals to vampires but in strength we were.

Fate stepped in again and, after our first encounter, my title shifted. I was the rightful heir of being Alpha and it was bestowed upon me. Fate made sure no benefits came along with such a title. The Council of Elders thought for sure I would imprint soon, the delay obviously because of my previous pack placement. It didn't occur and I wondered what kind of party Fate threw in honor of the council's hopes and mistakes. After six months, the council decided the need for new bloodlines was the reason for the delay and I was allowed to venture off to college, not only to get an education but to meet new people. Two months after my 18th birthday I entered the world of collegians and couldn't help but laugh at Fate's trickery.

Thousands of people came in and out of my world every semester and never was there even a hint of imprinting. My dad called every week, acting like a proud parent of his college son and maybe he was sort of proud. But the worm of imprinting for the Alpha was what the tribe thought about daily and Dad's main reason to call was to make sure I hadn't imprinted and forgot to inform them. The disappointment grew every week and despite getting really good grades and excelling in most of my classes they could really care less. I was excited for the mechanical engineering degree I was attempting to achieve, but for all the tribe cared, it could have been underwater basket weaving. Once I imprinted I was duty bound to return home and continue my so-called-life as a werewolf. With a mate. Could Fate be any more cruel?

As I rolled over again searching for that impossible position of comfort to get some sleep, I laughed out loud. What kind of grade would my professor give me if I finished the paper with my current thought:_ Embrace the good with the bad and never, ever try to fuck with Fate. It always wins, even when you think it has lost.  
_


	2. TugOfWar with Fate

**Tug-of-War with Fate**

Here I was, five years later and life couldn't be better. Had I embraced Fate and its vile plans? No, but I was okay with that. Sometime during my 2nd year in college I had realized that I was waiting for something I may never obtain. I entered the dating scene and life definitely took a new meaning. Relationships were complicated and college was tough enough without some nagging girlfriend. I partook in what most girls willingly offered and the choices were innumerable. The hookups lasted only a few weeks but neither myself nor bedmate left unsatisfied. Most understood upfront it was just a fling and the ones who didn't, figured it out quickly. Fate may be holding my imprint hostage in its grip (whoever she might be) but I wasn't going to give Fate the pleasure of celibacy. I was overly smug knowing that I had been with more pussy than Hefner himself. I probably should have looked into buying stock in Trojan.

By twenty-three, I had made quite a name for myself in the business world of Engineering. Many companies wanted faster, quieter engines that could produce more energy and be less detectable and I was the man in demand. Traveling all over the world, I had seen more faces than I could ever hope of remembering. The Council was leery at first but allowed me to pursue my goals. Most of my trips were in the states and this appeased them especially cities that had a larger percentage of Native American bloodlines living in the vicinity. I had long given up the thought of imprinting; my main goal was doing a job I loved and making enormous amounts of money at it. I had contracts with Lockheed and Boeing and was in the middle of negotiations with NASA, dealing with some complex gadget they wanted to send to Mars.

Most of my work was done on a laptop while at home in La Push. I didn't have an office I had to report to daily and it worked well in my favor, being a wolf and all. Every one of my friends had settled down at home and everyone co-mingled like family. Occasionally one of my best friends, Quil or Embry would accompany me on a trip out of town, secretly hoping to help me find 'the one'. They still had hope for me and it was an endearing, brotherly gesture.

Quil and I strolled through the Seattle Airport, stretching our legs after a 6 ½ hour flight from Houston. Neither one of us had expected such a long flight; but two hours on the runway due to inclimate weather over the Rockies and we were both in pain. No matter how roomy first class was, it's not enough. Each of us topped 6'6 and sitting docile for such a long stretch of time was uncommon. The flight attendant must have thought we both had bladders the size of peanuts, as many times as we took getting up and pretending to use the bathroom. Finally, out of the plane and close to home, the urge to phase and run was overwhelming. Quil must have been thinking similar thoughts.

"Why can't we just leave the car here, run home, and then you can run back later in the week to pick it up?" Quil whined, while texting Claire.

"Um because a) we're in a metropolitan area and b) I can't exactly carry my laptop in my mouth," I replied, reveling in the fact that circulation was now pumping completely through my legs and it felt like heaven.

"Fine. Whoa...what a hottie!" he exclaimed, closing his cell phone and coming to a standstill. He was staring into one of the many gift shops lining the terminal.

Stopping with him, I mentally sighed. "I thought you imprinted? Why would you even be browsing merchandise you have no intention of sampling?"

He stopped staring only long enough to glance at me then resumed his current obsession. "Window shopping doesn't count. I can look all I want. Besides, this is for your best interest."

"Do you not realize that I wasn't at the hotel last night? At all? I've had my fix, thank you." Quil acted as though he hadn't even heard me.

"Like you said," he answered, "It's all about sampling. You need this one for sure." And with that, he was off, walking towards the store. Pimp Daddy Quil was not about to be stopped despite last night's conquest.

Deciding it was best to play along for now, I scanned the tourist shops in the direction of where he had been ogling some college girls looking at a rack of postcards._ 'Not bad'_ I thought to myself glancing appreciatively at the trio. A sudden movement further into the store drew my attention as a petite, brunette moved to stand in the checkout line. Quil had made his way over to the college girls, flirting outrageously. The group started laughing at some crazy Quil antic drawing the attention of the brunette. Her eyes lifted, a slight smile on her face as she observed the spectacle. Tearing her look from them, she peered out into the terminal and our eyes locked, her smile suddenly increasing.

If I had to describe it later, I would simply have to say indescribable. How does one describe an emotion so few ever get to experience? The thrill of an adrenaline rush from hitting the top drop of a roller coaster as it hovers at the precipice before rushing straight down? The comfort of snuggling inside a velvet covered feather bed? The pleasure of devouring your favorite desert that you never even knew existed in the first place? This was the definition of Life. Finding your other half, not even realizing it had been emotionally missing in the first place, until she was there, smiling at you.

Almost all of the wolves had already imprinted and while remnants of heavenly love could be felt throughout us as a pack, the actual experience was mind blowing. Description and action would never be confused after such an event. After hearing the thoughts and pleasure and listening to adjectives used to describe it, I finally felt whole. No longer was I on the outside looking in, I was actually inside this bubble of absolution.

I have no idea how long I stood there, observing perfection. She was of average height, no taller than 5'5. The length of her hair was indeterminable as it was pulled up into some sort of crazy braid thing, but the beautiful red tinted mahogany color was not. Most would have referred to her as pale but the term that came to my mind was fair skinned. She had a small bone structure and reminded one of a fairy with an ethereal quality. Her breasts, compared to the rest of her, were larger than one would expect for such a tiny frame. Imprint or not, my ego took over as I fantasized about touching, holding, licking, kissing, and sucking them. Every sexual act involving a woman's breast flashed through and the possibilities became endless. Reality brought me back from bliss world. Apparently, my all knowing and uncomprehendingly staring was longer than one should, as Quil was roughly shaking my shoulder.

"J, dude what the hell is wrong with you? Are you alright?" he asked, looking in the direction I was staring and trying to figure out what had my attention so captivated. Speech seemed like a long, lost art, foreign and unfamiliar. My thoughts were not cooperating and I strained to figure out why I needed to stop staring. Slowly the confusion simmered and I was able to somewhat coherently express myself to Quil.

"Do you see her?" I asked still gaping. "I've...finally got there. I've imprinted," I whispered, afraid that saying it too loudly would wake me from this dream of bliss.

"Finally!" Quil hooted, clapping me on the shoulder "Which hottie is it? Please tell me it isn't the tall chick I gave the McDonald's pick-up line to. The last thing I need is for you to be angry at me for hitting on your-" I cut him off, not even wanting to know what lines of torments he had used on some unsuspecting female. "No, none of those chicks, the young lady there, in line with the pink sweater." I tried to indicate without blatant pointing. I felt like a teenager all over again, trying to be obvious but not be obvious about it, all at the same time.

Quil was searching the crowds meticulously until he finally zeroed in on her. He gazed at her for a few seconds before whistling long, low and appreciatively. I felt pride and happiness surge through me as realization that I was destined to be with such a beautiful creature, his next statement confirming my joy. "Damn J, you are the luckiest dog alive. We are definitely having a pack meeting after you two spend the night together." Despite the reference to wanting to see my girl naked, I couldn't help but grin. The pack could definitely look all they wanted in our shared thought process but the true experience would be mine and mine alone. _'Fuck you Fate! I have won!'_ I thought smugly. Nobody, however, Fate included, likes a cocky winner.

She had turned away by now, the smile still evident on her face. Without the gaze, a million thoughts raced through my mind. _Was that smile for me? Maybe it was just a polite smile. Should I just approach her, ask her out? How does one approach your other half for the first time? _ So many thoughts leaped at me at once before it clicked. Damn Fate! Of course. The rest of the pack had imprinted on people of our tribe or neighboring tribes. The stories were passed from tribal generation to generation much like the idea of Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny was passed on to children of different cultures. Every Native American was aware of imprinting, so when it happened, it was an honor. No one refused. They could, obviously, but who turns down their own lifetime guarantee of happiness? This aspect right here was the one free pass from Fate saying, "Yeah, it really is love until death do you part. Take it and run". Great, now what was I supposed to do? I doubt Fate would give me such an advantage as her being a Native American history major, and judging from her perfect, flawless, China bone white skin I doubted she had any ethnic blood in her.

Through my mental rant, it became apparent Quil had been talking non-stop and I hadn't heard a damn word, tuning him out as I stood there staring at her while cursing Fate and contemplating an appropriate approach. The resonate "Oh Shit" that flowed from Quil, immediately followed by the rancid sweet scent of decayed flowers filled my mind and I stood completely still. My thoughts turned on themselves and to the situation at hand, possible consequences of racing to her and fleeing to a safe location. As usual, Fate was one step ahead of me and not on my side.

A pair of parasites approached down the sky-way, quickly approaching the store my new found imprint was in. Without thinking, I started to move forward, only to be stopped by Quil. "We don't have any way to intercept this. Let's just hang back and watch. If they appear to go somewhere secluded, we'll step in. It's not like they're going to attack someone in such a public place. Besides, you may want to stop staring so intently. They may not know what we are but they can certainly detect us. It's not like we blend," he stated, smirking before adding, "Presently, we are a minority."

He was right, on so many levels. Our minority included everything from out height, build, and race. Some would add werewolf, like it was a different species and while we were the only two wolves in the building, I viewed it more as a gift than a species. Kind of like a talent. Not everyone could do quantum physics but that didn't mean they were a different species. Shape shifting seemed to fit right in with that category.

Looking around, I spotted a bench to sit on and contemplate further thoughts of kidnapping while simultaneously trying to figure out how to screw Fate over for its current interference. Quil continued to grip my shoulder forcefully as I watched them stalk, the predator demeanor ever present, as they zeroed in on their prey. My thought process seized again as I realized they had approached HER and started the conversation of doom I was positive was about to take place.

"Bella", chirped the female. _Finally a name to go with the face!_ "Where did you run off to? The plane leaves in twenty minutes. We have to head over to the security check-point, Edward's waiting there." She grabbed Bella's arm and started dragging her towards said location, the male vampire failing to say anything. The look on his face was jovial and fit every definition of the term 'the cat who ate the canary' Fuck, this wasn't good. There was an emergency exit close to the check-point and two vampires and one human could be out and gone before people even realized the alarm was ringing. And Edward? Damn. If he was another hostage for them, they'd have a full course meal and be able to board the next flight out of here. What the hell was I going to do? They had already acquainted themselves with their dinner and if they had a plane ticket for her to dine in a different location, I was screwed.

It's not like I could force myself past security without bringing unwanted attention. Brief thoughts of having Quil strip down naked and cause a commotion while I tried to slip past, occurred and vanished. Not that he wouldn't do it, laughing hysterically and enjoying every moment of it. Exhibitionism, to Quil, would just be one more form of flirting. But I really didn't want to have to spend the next 3 days here, in Seattle, as Quil was locked up in a psyche ward for 72-hour observation while the police tried to decipher what would possess a grown man to do such a thing. Of course, if he told them the truth, his werewolf boss was using it as a diversion tactic to save the girl from vampires no judge on the planet would let him leave in 72 hours. Hell, after a statement like that, they probably wouldn't let him leave in 72 years. As I was about to instruct Quil on the plan, _Fuck it. I could afford the best damn_ _attorney out there,_ Fate stepped in again. All over our toes.

They had gotten around 10 yards away, down the walkway when I grabbed a confused Quil's arm and started to follow, hoping the 'Crazy, Naked Quil' plan really wouldn't be needed. People often used the term "thinking on your feet". This was not one of those times.

Quil was rambling the whole time, "You'd think she would be asking questions about what was going on. Do you think they drugged her? Maybe Edward's her boyfriend or something and that's why she's following so passively."

The word boyfriend almost stopped me cold. Here was a situation I was not anticipating. Boyfriend quickly looped to the word fiancé followed by the very blackest of definitions, husband. That title would only regain its glory once it was Bella's and mine. Could Fate really be that sadistic? She hadn't been wearing a ring, but that was far from concrete evidence that she would, in fact, be single. I was trying to think of more pleasant terms such as cousin or friend when Fate gave its shove.

"Oh Shit" Quil muttered for the second time. There, ahead of us, was another one, a male, eying his companions as they walked towards him, while casting glares at certain males who paid any type of visual attention to Bella. When they were approximately five feet in front of the new male, Bella released the hand of the female and launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms and legs around him in a lovers embrace. I lunged forward and Quil grabbed me around the neck our momentum carrying us into a position that resembled a hug.

"I know brother, I'll miss you too," he said, attempting to play the part of two family members saying good-bye at the airport. "Stop for one fucking minute" he hissed before resuming his role-playing. "I'll see you again in a few months, maybe next time you can fly out and visit me." His tone was normal, average for any human or unsuspecting vampire who may have been listening in.

What the fuck are you talking about" I hissed back, while watching a scene that severely looked like a bad ending to a snuff film. I felt the wolf genes take hold, trying to gain dominance as my body began to shake in the all too familiar form of phasing.

"Don't cry bro, it's all right. I promise I'll call as soon as I land." My Id knew what was going on but my Ego was pushing aside Quil's attempt at normalcy. "Look," he hissed directly in my ear while I continued to watch the most hellish event ever "She's still human. Let's see where this is going before it completely blows up in our faces." The shaking subsided slightly as we continued to observe interaction between vampires and Bella.

"Edward, I'll miss you," Bella stated, still wrapped around him. He held her off the ground, gently. _Hmm, maybe Vamps didn't like to eat bruised humans. _ One of his hands snaked up her back softly rubbing it. _Was he checking for meat tenderness?_ He murmured the same sentiment to her as she slide back down to the ground, immediately wrapping around in a group hug with the other two. This was just sick. _Who the hell hugged their cow before eating it?_

"Bella, please reconsider," the female spoke, smiling like a damn Lite-Brite. I watched nothing but the emotions on the parasites body, waiting for some form of harm to befall on Bella. Their conversation did nothing for me and the sounds known as words rattled by unobserved. "The sun will set completely in a few months and we really miss you. Mom and dad would be so happy if you moved. They miss you so much too. We could..." Bella placed her hand over the female's mouth and my shaking resumed to double time as I thought about how close Bella's actual flesh was to the mouth of the vamp. One slip of her finger and she would be done for.

Quil, ever vigilant, continued with his charade, mocking the shakes and falsely crying, "I know bro, I know. I miss our sis too. Maybe we could go visit her." The idea of punching him was strong but I refrained, trying to reign in the uncontrollable.

"Alice," Bella replied in a teacher like voice. "I have already told you, it is too darn cold up there. Heck, most of the time, it's too cold here but at least there's enough civilization to keep me occupied. Just be glad I haven't moved to some place really warm and sunny like Florida. Then you guys would never visit."

My hearing had finally returned as she smiled beseechingly at them and hugged each one again before pushing them towards the security line. As she stood back watching them inch closer to the metal detector I wondered if it would at all be possible to reassign federal land for the Quileute tribe in Florida. Hell, there was a NASA complex in Florida, if anyone had federal ties it would be them. Maybe I could weasel it into the contract somehow.

As I watched the vampires yell out last minute advice of safety and caution, I wryly thought that they must be concerned with expiration of their prized meal. I slowly began to relax the farther away the vampires got, pushing Quil off of me, while once again attempting to formulate approach plans.

"What the hell was that all about? I hope you have a really good plan because they are coming back for her. You did hear that right?" Quil demanded trying to tear my attention off of Bella. Once again, I tuned him out. _ Was he always so damn annoying?_ I resumed my earlier train of thoughts of cursing Fate and contemplating contact. I watched as Bella gave one final wave to them before sighing. Turning around she headed towards the stairs that led to the exit for arrivals.

"Quick, Quil go get my car, level 3 spot #244. Drive it up to arrivals; I'll meet you with the luggage." Shoving the keys at him without a backward glance, I followed discreetly behind Bella. Throwing away all of my reserve I decided a bold approach was my only option. As we neared the luggage carousels, I sped up to tap her on the shoulder.

"Um, excuse me miss? Could you give me a hand?" or really any part of her body she wanted to share. Eternal love would be great too but thank god, the mouth filter kicked on at the word hand. Startled, she turned around and looked up at me slowly. Rather than craning her neck, she took a few steps backwards and the unmistakable sound of her heartbeat picking up at this intrusion reached my ears.

Slowly, a small smile spread across her face as the recognition from our earlier semi-encounter appeared in her eyes. "I'm sorry, what did you need?" She asked inquisitively. A plan was still lacking but I knew I had to detain her long enough for Quil to get the car up here. After that, I'd regroup my thoughts and maybe ask for Quil's input. _Here goes nothing_, I thought, jumping in with both feet.

"Would you mind holding my laptop while I grabbed my luggage off the carousel? I need both hands and don't want it to get banged up hanging off my shoulder." I smiled winsomely at her, hoping she'd take the bait.

"Luggage? Wasn't that your brother you were hugging good-bye back upstairs by security?" She smiled so happily and had asked so innocently that the fact I had been ousted was blinded to me by her presence._ Retreat. Retreat_. My mind screamed as I pushed past it.

"Oh, him? Yeah that's my brother but we just flew in this evening. He does theatrical dramas at a small playhouse close to his house. Making up scenes in crowds of unsuspecting people helps with stage fright." My mind screamed that that had to be the lamest excuse anyone on the planet could come up with and I waited for Fate to screw me over.

"Oh, well sure" she replied holding out her hand for the laptop, once again being struck by her flawless beauty. Her eyes had so much trust and innocence I wanted to cry silently in joy. Grabbing her hand gently, marveling at the feel of her skin, I gently lead her over to the luggage that was circling by.

"Here, it's kind of heavy. You don't have to actually hold it. I can just set it down by your feet while I get my luggage. I really appreciate this." Positioning her near the luggage, I set the laptop down. Immediately she picked it up and I was a little confused.

"You don't have too..." but she quietly cut me off.

"If I'm not holding it, someone could easily grab it and run before I could even stop them. It's safer this way." Proud of her accomplishment she bestowed her smile once again.

I gloried in her smile as I stepped away. Mentally chanting _luggage_, I hoped to perform this small task without screwing up while thinking about that smile. I watched as Quil's duffel came around, followed several pieces later by my Samsonite. I had to give Quil enough time and this was happening entirely too fast. I watched patiently as the luggage made its journey three times before grabbing my suitcase. I turned around to see Bella beaming at me as I held up a finger, indicating I was waiting for one more piece.

Passenger after passenger stepped forward to grab their belongings, taking my excuse right out of my hands. Luggage pickings were slim by this point and if I let Quil's bag circle too many more times, she'd definitely think I was an idiot. Risking my next move, I fished out my cell phone and proceeded to check some imaginary important message. Five more rotations was the extent of what I could chance. Snapping the phone closed at my decision, I grabbed his bag.

Hauling over the two pieces I walked back towards her, wondering what kind of small talk I could engage in that wouldn't sound hopelessly devoid of intelligence. Bella beat me to it.

"Go figure," she stated, completely at ease. "It's always the last piece to be released, huh?" She asked. My mind scrambled as I thought of ways to make this work. I wondered what Spirit figure was holding Fate at bay, as Bella had thankfully missed the fact I had ignored my luggage for so long,

"Yeah, it usually works that way. I'm just happy it made it here at all. Somehow my luggage usually ends up in another state." She giggled at my statement and my mental browbeating of lame small talk ceased. The sound was delicate and harmonious, reminding me of the sound of bells being performed with crystal goblets. _That would be the best cell phone ring tone ever,_ I thought as Bella decided to lengthen the conversation.

"I know what you mean. My sister travels with everything but the kitchen sink and usually she has a sixth sense as to when our luggage won't make it with us. However, several years ago we traveled to Switzerland and when our luggage came off the carousel, the clasp had broke. Both of us were crawling all over the place trying to pick up stray pieces of clothing, while my brother was fighting with some pervert who thought he'd take a souvenir in the form of my sister's panties. She was mad and I was mortified. They weren't even mine and I had enough embarrassment for both of us." She blushed prettily and her eyes filled with warmth as the memories reoccurred.

One couldn't help but wonder what her family would look like. Images of what I could imagine as being her mom, dad and siblings coursed through as I pictured us around a huge wooden table. There would be tons of affection, laughter and the feeling of familial bliss permeating the imaginary room. I wanted this, so desperately that my mind had already set it up without my knowledge but a reward like that would be well worth it. In less than an hour, my life had been completely rewritten and it was the sweetest victory ever to have occurred.

Coming back to herself, she suddenly thrust my laptop back at me. "I'm sorry; I must be keeping you from something." Turning around, she made to leave when I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Thanks." I replied softly, once again searching for the next word or step to take that would bring me closer to my destiny.

"You're welcome," she responded over her shoulder, walking towards the exit doors and unknowingly dragging my heart and other half of my soul with her.

Following behind her, I stepped outside and saw Quil parked a few cars down in the opposite direction of where Bella was walking. He stood at the back of my midnight blue Impala and I knew Fate was back. Only Fate would cause him to stand outside of the car rather than behind the wheel so he could have pulled up closer to where she was standing. _Wasn't there some new law that stated the driver had to remain in the vehicle at all times? _

Silencing the growl I wanted to impart at him, I hurried over throwing the duffel bag towards Quil's position at the trunk. He caught it and slid the bag in. I shoved my suitcase behind it slamming the trunk closed harder than need be. Height had an advantage for once as I began searching the crowd for Bella. I watched as a Taxi pulled up and she climbed in the back. Pushing Quil towards the passenger side, I climbed in behind the wheel as my next move came to me. We would follow her to find out where she was going.


	3. Daytona Fate Hundred

**Daytona-Fate-Hundred**

Pulling away from the terminal, I sped up trying to locate the cab Bella had just jumped into. Deciding to ignore Quil's theatrical performance back in the terminal and not question him on the necessity, I wondered why Bella was taking a cab. If she didn't own a vehicle I'd be more than willing to chauffeur her. Later in the relationship I could buy her a car, whatever she wanted. Envisioning a sexy, little sports car with Bella behind the wheel, I'd show her my appreciation, at allowing me to gift her with such a vehicle, by spreading her out naked on the hood while worshiping every inch of her ivory skin.

"You're fucked! Unless you've just come up with the best plan ever and I'm talking about something more brilliant than Noah and his damn ark, you're fucked!"

Quil's rambling was actually gripping my mind this time despite my sports car distraction. He was using the same word I had been thinking in regards to Bella but in an entirely different capacity.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," I muttered, returning to the task of trying to follow Bella's cab. Any other day there would only be maybe ten or fifteen cabs. Today, however, Fate had decided to unleash a legion of them and following was not as easy as I had planned. All of the cabs seemed to be swerving and merging lanes like a four year old playing the game Need for Speed. "Unless you have any bright ideas of your own, turn it down some. We're going to see where she's going so I can think of a way to approach her and start a normal courtship." Spotting her silhouette, I sped up and slid in behind a minivan that had five kids in the back with the driver not paying attention to traffic.

Quil snorted out his laughter. "You already approached her, look where that got you. Those leeches are coming back! For her! I say just kidnap her, bring her back to the rez and we can work on the details later," he stopped to ponder his next words. "You're still fucked though. How do you plan on explaining to the council that not only is she on a first name and hugging basis with vamps and calls them family but-"

"What do you keep going on about?" Swerving over to the left, I watched the minivan head in a different direction, leaving me a clear view of Bella and her cab. "She was momentarily dazzled by their presence. You know it's a tactic they use to capture their victims. Another hour and she'll think she was drugged or something and try to figure out why she was hugging some weirdo."

The incredulity rolled off just as thick as the previous sarcasm from Quil as he took over Fate's job to burst the bubble I was in. "Are you deaf? Did you not hear her call them brother and sister? And there're more of them that took over the roles of her parents. If they've dazzled her, you're both fucked because that would take a lot of drugs and way too much time to sort out."

I cringed in horror as the cab cut in front of a full sized pickup truck, then kept moving to the next lane not caring about proper car length between traveling vehicles. I could see Bella gripping the seat in front of her as the cab attempted to ignore the rules of gravity as it made impossible passes in and out of traffic. My relief was short lived as Quil's words finally resembled meaning.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" _Great now I was resorting to dropping the F-bomb as frequently as Quil felt he had to. _"Family? She thinks they're family?" I didn't think werewolves could get nauseous but that was definitely the feeling I felt. Of course attempting to tail Bella in her carnival cab ride was probably adding to it. Trying to maintain a safe distance from the cab without losing sight was a feat unto itself, the cab driver obviously completely ignorant of the phrase _steady speed_. Hitting 75mph in a 45mph zone, I was once again two car lengths behind the cab only to have to slam on the brakes as the cab changed speed again. Switching lanes for the fourth time, I tried to think about what Quil was saying. "They're her family? They keep her like a pet?" None of it made sense.

"I have no idea dude, but living with vamps is not your only problem here," he stopped talking to stare out the window and I was grateful, a feeling that would be short lived.

"Look, I know okay? But don't you think approaching her in a normal setting would be more natural. Real people meet, mingle and ease into dating. This isn't hundreds of years ago where the tribe just willing hands out daughters to men of value." My feelings of despair evaporated as a new idea partially formed. "We'll follow her, hopefully to wherever she lives, scope it out and then I can work on another approach to ask her out on a date."

Quil's snorting returned. Oddly enough the sound resembled the verbalization of the word Fate. "You already said that but, let me get this straight. It was to 'creepy'," he made quotations in the air, "to try to hook-up with her at the airport? But tailing her cab to see where she's going, or more likely, where she lives, is non creepy and non-stalker like? Does anything about this," he waffled his hands back and forth between us, indicating our inner wolves, "fucking strike you as normal? Or even natural?"

_Was Quil a sailor, trying to rack up points for most offensive language? _ "I swear if you say the word fuck one more time I'm going to punch you. I get it." Again, with the lane changes. _Is the cabbie drunk? _ I watched Quil grab a hold of the door as I swerved to the right before continuing, "This isn't some fairy tale imprint story. But do you honestly think I'm just going to kidnap her, take her back home and say 'welcome to the werewolf club and oh yeah by the way, why the hell is your family made up of vampires?" I watched as the cabbie cut through three lanes of traffic to hit an exit. Attempting to make the same maneuver caused a more than necessary amount of horns blowing and the Hawaiian peace sign, also known as the middle finger, directed towards me. _Apparently it's only acceptable for cabs to drive like that._

"Fuck," Quil exclaimed loudly. I had to sit on my right hand to keep it from connecting with his head. "Who the hell is driving, Mario Andretti?" _If only the cabbie had Mario's panache._

The cab barreled down the exit, ignoring the yield sign as it merged into traffic and took off again. We were in a suburb of sorts and Fate seemed to be fond of the color red. Every stoplight projected the color mere seconds before I could cross. I managed to stop at the first two but gave up after that. _This_ _cabbie must be colorblind and illiterate as well. _ He never stopped, and treated traffic signs like a mirage. The longer the joy ride went on the worse the neighborhoods got. Finally, three non-reported accidents and more than 20 traffic violations later, the cab stopped in front of a building that could only be described as a fire hazard. It was comprised of a brownish colored brick that was cracked and crumbling in more places than not. Cracks were never ideal in any building but in a structure that was 10 stories high, it should have been condemned. The streets and sidewalks were littered with debris. Stragglers and indigents loitered in groups. The nearest crowd was in the midst of a drug purchase. I parallel parked several buildings away to watch as Bella tripped her way out of the cab and into the building of death.

"Dude, I think you should reconsider the kidnapping idea, this place is nasty. Although if she lives here, all you have to do is flash some cash and she'd follow you anywhere." The expectant expression on Quil's face made me sit on both of my hands.

"For the love of God, this isn't some movie shit. Did you honestly just imply Bella's a hooker? Just offer her some money, bang her and then suggest we get married? Or what, maybe keep her as a mistress? Set her up somewhere in the city, so I can drop in a few times a week to cure my hard on?" I was breathing hard and could feel my fingers curl up under my thighs, wishing it was Quil's neck.

He looked pained momentarily before responding, "Jake, you make it sound so dirty. Besides, we both know you'd want to hit that at least three times a day, probably four or five on the weekends." Banging my head on the steering wheel did nothing to shut him up. "Maybe she doesn't have the financial ability you do? We already know her family's fuc-messed up. I just meant it as a solution." _Smashing Quil's head on the dashboard could work a lot better._

"Buying my imprint is not a solution, Quil. Kidnapping my imprint is not a solution, Quil. Attempting to develop feelings and a relationship with Bella in a normal fashion is my solution, Quil. Waiting until we are irrevocably in love before telling her about our furry side effects is my solution, Quil. Those are my solutions, Quil, and if you don't agree then get out." I was so drained of this conversation already and the constant rehashing of it from Quil was driving me up a wall.

Quil's pensive expression had me hoping for the best. I forgot Fate had him temporarily possessed. "I get what you mean about saying fuck all the time. Can we please apply the same rules to the phrase, _my solution, Quil?" _

"It's eleven o'clock in the goddamn evening. Get out of my car, find a hotel and stay there until I call you in the morning with details." I waited for the blissful sound of him opening the car door fully expecting him to comply. It wasn't happening.

Sighing heavily he resigned. "No way! Any place around here will have roaches big enough to sound like a herd of elephants trampling around. I'll stay here with you. We can take turns snoozing that way when tomorrow's plan backfires you won't be able to blame it on lack of sleep," he was grinning by now and the night began to look more and more unpleasant.

"Fine but could you even remotely begin to act like this isn't a game. Try mediation or some shit. I'm trying to locate her." At that Quil fell silent, still grinning as I rolled down the car window to listen for Bella's heartbeat. There was so much background interference noise, coupled with the fact that I hadn't really had time to learn its rhythm yet, made it impossible. After the third junkie had walked up looking to score, I gave up and rolled the window back up. Quil was still grinning like an idiot and I wondered why I didn't have enough common sense to order him to leave.

"Soooo, do you want to talk about it?" Quil asked, trying to maintain a serious tone.

"Talk about what?" I asked, leaning back in the seat and pretending ignorance.

"Oh, I don't know? Like how you plan to tell the Elders and other pack members about this. Your imprint is not only sleeping with the enemy but are you blind? I've seen albinos with a better tan than her. She's white!" The exclamation was what one would expect when told that their uncle had married a goat. Literally.

"Hmm, nope. Somehow missed that. She's white you say? Well that's kind of disappointing. You'd think being Alpha and all she'd be yellow and pink polka-dotted." _Maybe he'll take the hint._

"Are you really that clueless? NO ONE has imprinted on someone that wasn't Native American. The Elders are not going to be overjoyed at this." _Then again, maybe not. Let's try fundamental logic._

"You make them sound like racists. Geez, they sent me out here to imprint and I did. They'll be nothing but relieved. Tradition can carry on. The Alpha's genes will be passed down to future generations and the sun will continue to rise in the East. I really don't think this will be a problem and they don't really have a choice in the matter."

"Jake, there's not another white person within thirty miles of the reservation. And after this, the Elders will no doubt be questioning something as unequivocal as which direction the sun rises and sets. You really think that it will be overlooked just because the Alpha say's otherwise. I'm pretty sure this will be a big fucking problem. Oops, sorry I forgot."

I ignored his slip of the word, thinking about the pack members. All of the other pack members and their Native American imprints. "Collin's mom is white. None of the council has kicked her off the rez and Collin's werewolf genes work just fine. Everything's good."

"Collin isn't the damn Alpha and no, his mom is not white. She's got like maybe ten percent white in her. She definitely has skin as dark as the rest of us."

I knew he was correct, but I was grasping for a reason that I could present to the Elders. _Why had I never noticed before?_ I had never stared overly long at people with paler skin, it had never occurred to me that I would find an imprint that way. I had slept with plenty of chicks with a strong Anglo-Saxon gene pool. Color had never mattered in that department, but unless the chick was drop dead gorgeous, I paid more attention to women closer to my own coloring.

"So what exactly do you suggest? Should I just spray paint her to pass it by the notice of the tribe? Or maybe I should insist that all of our dates start at a tanning bed? Why are you even doubting me? Do you have so little faith in my ability to be able to tell when I've imprinted?" I was out of ideas and back to banging my head, this time against the back of the headrest.

"Look, it took you so long to imprint. Maybe it's not really imprinting. She's really hot. Just sleep with her and see what happens."_ Quil and his ever loving one track mind._

"Damn it, she's not just some mindless fuck!" The misuse of the word had Quil tisking and I lost it. Lunging across the console, my fist struck his temple causing his head to snap sideways and into the door frame of the car effectively crumpling it. I was directly in his face and my frustration turned rage found a temporary mark.

"I am tired of this game you've attempted to mask as a discussion. We both are well aware of the complications here. Nothing you say will change any of it. I will not attempt to fix my pseudo-imprint issue with a one night stand, no matter how much you feel it might help. Now unless you have something else to say that isn't an obvious problem we are already aware of, keep your mouth shut."

Slumping back into my seat I felt a little bad about punching him, but his logic was flawed on so many levels. If my best friend was this opposed to my imprint, how would anyone else at home accept the news. Quil's face remained impassive as I tried to recompose myself.

"Jake, I'm sorry and you're right, now is not the time or place for this. Let me call my grandfather and see if he has any ideas about her family situation." Grabbing his cell phone he started to dial when I stopped him.

"I'm all for getting any intel I can but, ahh, certain details should probably be left out." I stared at him, hoping he would understand my reasoning. _ Like Fate was going to let this slide by unnoticed. _

Quil dropped his phone in utter shock. "You're not going to tell them you imprinted? Why?"

This whole conversation was full of questions, rhetorical and otherwise. For as few answers as we had, all the questions should have been rhetorical.

"Look at how many problems we already have to address. The race of my future wife is not one I'd like to deal with right now."

"It's not like they can tell the color of her skin over the phone, Jake. Just tell them now, your dad will be beyond ecstatic, you can worry about that detail later."

"Sure, sure. We'll tell them I imprinted, then, after everyone's done cheering, the very next question will be 'So what tribe does she descend from?' You know as well as I do, Sue Clearwater will already have the invitations printed just waiting to fill in the blanks of the mysterious tribe's name."

She would too. If Quil told them I had imprinted it would stand to reason that it was with a woman of a tribe we had no previous contact with. Fate had made damn sure previous contact was non-existent with imprinting taking place upon a possible vampire pet. Sue would want to make all the necessary union arrangements on this wonderful blessing and 'Welcome to the werewolf family' greeting cards were a must. Imprinting was supposed to be the ultimate ecstasy of life, not one continuous hellish nightmare.

"After I've actually introduced myself into Bella's life, I'll open that can of worms. For now though, can we please just deal with the bigger issue at hand?"

Quil had a look that clearly said he wasn't so sure that the vampires were the bigger issue. I couldn't watch the thoughts flickering through his eyes, scared that he might find a new reason to inflict this hell now and not later.

"I'll try to keep it simple as possible but he's gonna wanna know why I'm concerned about a passing leech. Remember, no jurisdiction?" _Well, shit! No, I had kind of forgotten about that_. _Think, think, think._

"If he asks just tell him you were thinking of bringing Claire up her, but that an interaction like the one earlier at the airport, makes you wonder if it's even safe to be further than 10 feet away from your beloved."

His face softened at the mention of Claire and he took a few minutes contemplating about her before sighing and picking up the phone again.

"All right, but he's old, not senile. He'll probably see right through this." Dialing once again, we both snapped to attention as a commotion broke out across the street. Two vagabonds were arguing over a...piece of string? _Apparently Fate was inflicting torture full force tonight. _ We watched as they kicked and screamed at each other before tumbling to the ground in a full out brawl. A third guy appeared, grabbing the fallen string and running off down the street, cackling about being the chosen one.

"Man, this place is a shit—oh, hi grandpa, it's Quil. Yeah, yeah the trip was great. Listen, I have a dilemma here...No! Claire and I are fine; I just talked to her a little bit ago. Anyway..." he continued to proceed with careful questions regarding our request.

Quil was right. His grandfather was far from senile but he also didn't pick up on any ulterior motives. Despite not being the one actually talking to Quil Sr., it became apparent that he had slipped into his favorite mood, school teacher, and was relishing at the thought of helping us find an answer to the supernatural that we couldn't otherwise figure out on our own. Quil Sr.'s only regret in life was that he himself was not able to experience being a wolf. He tried to combat the longing vicariously, listening intently to our run-ins and conquests with vampires, his eyes closed and a small smile on his lips as the scenes unfolded in his mind.

Two and a half minutes later Quil snapped his phone shut. "He's not at all suspicious, we are in the clear. Well, sort of. Gramps said that the dazzling thing is very temporary, kind of like being blinded momentarily by a bright light. It wears off in less than a minute and a vamp would have to leave the victim's presences for awhile before returning and trying to dazzle again. So yeah like I said before, we are-"

"Quil! DO NOT finish that sentence. If you say that word one more time, I am going to go locate that 'chosen one' tie you up and let him play with the string I will haphazardly wrap around you, all night." Quil's shudder of disgust made my point evident.

"Like I was saying, before being so rudely interrupted, we are without any answers as to why Bella was with them. Once again we have no answers, well one answer. If this is where your girl lives, you just might have to get a rabies shot to come visit."

"Why do I put up with you? You know what? Come on." Opening the driver side door, I stepped out of the car and closed the door, waiting for Quil to get out so I could lock it. I had no doubt whatsoever that Fate had some chosen string waiting for my displeasure. Quil got out slowly and backed away, waiting for me to tackle him. I hit the locks then strolled around the car to cross the street. Quil was keeping a safe distance from me and our presence was noted by the addicts, who appeared to think this was a drug meeting gone bad and about to be action packed.

"He's gonna shank that punk, Leo, look at his expression." The words from the crowd were clearly heard by both Quil and me and while I wouldn't need any type of weapon to hurt him, the idea of receiving some type of future pain from me marred Quil's face.

"Get a grip," I mumbled to Quil, still striding towards the other side of the street. I dropped the angry facial features caused by Quil and replaced them with a soothing grin and how better I would feel after I smashed his face in. "We're just going to explore a little." No sooner had I reached the sidewalk than a relaxed Quil was by side, grinning and making obscene hand gestures to the crowd around us. "Quit antagonizing them, Quil. What are you, seven?" _Smashed face Quil. Temporarily broken Quil. Silent Quil. _The thoughts were working, sort of.

"I can't help it, dude. You're grumpy as fuc-fudge and I need a little satirical release. Besides, look at them squirm. We don't get entertainment like this on the rez. Let me enjoy it."

"Whatever, Quil. Just make sure they don't follow us too closely." The last thing we needed was a bunch high and drunk hobos trailing after us, looking for tonight's entertainment.

"Why? What are we doing?" Quil's eagerness indicated more than I wanted to know.

"I'm checking to see if I can locate a vehicle that might belong to Bella. If the building has a separate door to a parking lot, we might not see her when she leaves." _Please let us be able to follow her._

"So, you're going to what? Look for a car that says Bella on it." _Quil is my friend, Quil is my friend. Say it enough and you'll believe it once again._

"No, you idiot! We do have a heightened sense of smell. I'm going to see if any of the vehicles here hold traces of her scent." _How does he even manage to put on his pants by himself?_

I was expecting more stupid questions. I was expecting a rundown of flaws dealing with my task. I was not expecting Quil to drop to his knees in hysterical laughter. The sound encompassed the entire area and his words were choked and garbled in misplaced mirth.

"So what you're saying is that like a dog, you're going to sniff at the cars looking for the perfect scent. Then what? Are you going to pee on it once you find it?" _Fucking Fate! Friend be damned._

Fate had planned this all. Quil, the least serious out of all of us, was with me, mocking me to an end that was not going to end pleasantly for him. Paul's anger or Leah's bitchiness would be a heavenly bliss over this sarcastic commentary drivel. _Fast acting superglue could keep a werewolf's mouth shut for awhile, right?_

"No, you ass! This is a good plan and you'll thank me in the morning because I'll be one less level of pissed off with having something else to go on." _ Am I alone in the realm of common sense?_

Her car was not what I expected. It was a sleek, dark gray Toyota Camry. It sat suspiciously low to the ground and the tires were not stock. In fact they were extremely wide and thick, designed to accommodate a vehicle three times as heavy as a Camry. _What the fuck!_

"Oh, good you found it. Now what?" Quil strolled over like a passive half-wit, high on life and conquered quests of torturing me incessantly.

"Shut up and get over here."_Smashed face Quil. Friend Quil._ Maybe I could find a happy medium.

"I know, I know. Let's chip it, like a puppy." _Fuck friendship_. I was about to go Hannibal Lecter on his ass and make living room accessories with his body parts both wolf and human.

"Why the hell would a Camry need this type of tire on it? And why does it seem to sit so low to the ground?" Dropping down on to the pavement, I leaned in under the car to check out the chassis. "Oh my god, what the hell is this?"

Quil joined me on the ground, and back to the land of seriousness, to see what I was talking about. The entire frame of the vehicle had been modified and reinforced to epic proportions. Titanium plates had been welded to the frame, reinforcing the car's ability to remain intact in the event of a collision. Underneath the fiberglass body were sheets of Kevlar installed for the same purpose. An extinguishing system of sorts circled the fuel tank prohibiting any type of future explosion. Standing back up, I tapped the window glass noting that it was a Plexiglas similar to what was used in fighter jets.

"Man, you can't get this type of work done locally. Hell, even internationally I've never seen something like this. Nobody does re-mods like this to a vehicle; it would cost more than just buying an outright tank." _ Thank you, Mr. Obvious._

"Well, Bella didn't install this shit on her own. Can you think of any company that caters to this type of stuff?" I may have an engineering degree, but Quil and some of the other guys ran a local mechanic service station. Hundreds of cars passed through the shop weekly. If Quil had ever seen anything like this he would have asked questions.

"Jacob, that glass is military grade. Where the hell would it come from? No one would have access to shit like this and even if they did, it's not designed for civil vehicles. Hell I doubt the President himself has an entourage this equipped." I did know that. Many aspects of my career centered on machinery of war that needed products like this to be effective.

We continued studying the car and attempting to evaluate why and how such a vehicle came into her possession. After 15 minutes we were no closer to any answer than before and headed back to my car to wait and watch. Quil had thankfully dropped his conversation about tagging a car dog or whatever verbal shit he was tanked on. Unfortunately his new verbal shit-fit involved a torturous sexcapade of what he planned on doing with Claire once we finally returned home. _ The vacuum cleaner! Seriously?_

Sleep would be elusive even in the best of circumstances but Quil's retelling of the joys incorporating home appliances into his sex life had me praying I would suddenly lose the ability to hear. No doubt if Fate complied I'd be tormented for eternity with Quil's visuals later on in the wolf mind. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Quil! Shut the fuck up and let me sleep." _ Feel the rage leave. Visualize the release_.

"Does this mean I can use the word fuck again?" This night could not end soon enough for me, as Fate continued its Rave.


	4. A Doggy Fate World

**It's a Doggy Fate World**

A microwave should never be uttered in a statement dealing with sex. This and many other disturbing thoughts continued to roll past as Quil and I took turns during the night sleeping, watching and waiting. I could never look at my friend in the same light as I witnessed his deeply disturbing dreams. During the third bout of his lips pouting in a sucky face while muttering the words Claire and a word I desperately prayed was not toaster, I smacked his cheek.

"Whaat? What's happening?" Quil stuttered, while yawning.

"I have no idea what's happening in Quil's hut of horrors featuring every appliance known to man but it's 8 in the morning and traffic is picking up around here. I need you to help keep lookout."

Yawning once more, Quil rubbed his hands over his face before the next pearls of wisdom spilled forward. "Oh, man. Remind me to get you a waffle iron for your engagement party. I have this little black book that shows-"

"Christ! Fucking shut it. I will give you ten grand to buy any and all of the dirty little appliances you may wish to purchase if, by some fucking miracle, you keep that shit to yourself. Forever!" Our pack was compromised of almost all guys. We were rough, rowdy, loud, obnoxious, basically the definition of the word guy. But Quil made all of us look like little girls compared to his mental thought process.

"Aye, Aye, Captain Kirk. And what is today's brilliant plan of Operation Imprint Fuck Up?"

"Just watch the fucking door." Sleeping in a car did nothing to improve my mood, but even with a good night's rest, Quil would be crossing my threshold of tolerance

"Good to know there's no word restraint today. That fucking shit is difficult. Hey, there's your cupcake now." _Restraint. Now that would be a novel idea._

I watched as Bella exited the building dressed in some form of medical scrubs type uniform. They were a soft yellow in color and complimented her hair nicely. Once again it was pulled up and away from her neck and back in another elaborate braid. Despite her loose apparel, it did nothing to hide the body of perfection that was calling from beneath. Even with the V in the front of the top, it showed not even a hint to cleavage. The illusion was lost to me, as both my body and mind held a better than average idea as to what was there.

"Oh shit, Jake. You think she might be a doctor? Man, I haven't played doctor in a long time. She's kind of young though." His eyes enlarged to accentuate his next theory, "Maybe she's a nurse. A naughty, naughty nurse. Please God, let her be a nurse." Quil's kindergarten pleading was ensuing a quick deterioration of my steering wheel as I tried to use it as an anchor for anti-violence.

"Quil, you are going to owe me a new car," I groused as tiny fissures appeared in my steering wheel. The anchor was lost.

He shut up at the noise caused by the steering wheel and we watched in silence as she made her way to her car. Throwing her bag inside, she climbed in and shut the door. The engine came to life in the Camry and she cautiously backed out of her parking space and onto the road. She took off at a reasonable pace and the hunt was on.

"So, you failed to mention. What's the plan?" Letting Quil know I lacked something as fancy as a plan, I went for a broad generalization of activity.

"We're going to see where she works then-"

"No. Abso-fucking-lutely not. I am not spending another fucking eight hours in this car while you stalk out another building." _ Stalk? That's kind of harsh._

"Once we see where she's working for the day, we'll go get some grub and a room somewhere. Your stinky ass can take a shower and then I'll let you help me decide on an approach."_ Diplomacy at its best._

Realizing Fate had to be sleeping, I relished in the lack of a high-speed pursuit, irrational addicts and a jabbering Quil. We continued to follow her, the neighborhoods improving quickly. After 15 minutes of driving, she turned into a business parking lot. This neighborhood was impressive. A nice middle class well established suburb. All of the houses in the past mile had been well cared for and treated with love. Worrying of Quil's earlier remark at stalker behavior, I parked at a furniture store visibly close.

"No fucking way. Oh. My. God. This is priceless!" His chortling had to be Fate, reminding me that it didn't require the earthy quality of sleep to fuck me over.

"Do I even want to know?" I mumbled, wondering what new sex story was Quil about to dump in my lap. Quil's reaction would only be caused by something as unnerving as Bella working as a stripper. His medical comments from earlier must have come true.

"Did you read the fucking sign? Look where she's going!" His excitement was brutal. _What could be worse than a stripper?_

I read the sign; once, twice, the third time was not a charm. Fate was not only wide awake but it was working double time. Bella worked at an animal shelter, The Humane Society. She was a veterinarian. _Where is the humanity here?_

"Fuck, Paul's gonna bust a nut, laughing his ass off at this. Shit, where's my cell, I need to take a picture of this and text it to him." Once again, verbal vomit Quil was ignored. This could not be happening. _A vet?_ Fate was one sadistic bitch. Visions of a staff meeting for Fate whirled. _ Let's see...Oh here's a winner. We can imprint a werewolf to a vet. Won't that be fun?_

I smacked the underside of Quil's hand that was holding the newly located phone. Launching it skywards, the phone hit the roof of the car, cracking then tumbling downwards into the backseat somewhere.

"That's not cool, man. This is fucking funny. Why are you being such a bastard about it?"

"Have you lost your remaining brain cells in your fucked up delusional blender sex fantasy?"

"Blender? Ouch! No dude it was a-" His reasoning was moronic at best.

"I don't give a rat's ass if it was a fucking garlic mincer. What I want to know is why you would be fucking telling anyone about this? Remember, the plan?" Any other time and place, Quil's facial expression to the word garlic mincer would have been funny. But his look of terror vanished as quickly as the words, sliding into an expression of contempt.

"Lack thereof, Jake, you have no goddamn plan. We are winging this shit and sooner or later it's gonna be game over. You can't keep this from anyone, you know that. The sooner you get over whatever obstacle you have about your reservations dealing with an unlikely imprint, the happier every fucking one will be."

"Unlikely Imprint? Why is this so hard to swallow? I've been living the last 5 years alone without a soul mate. Every damn day I was reminded of how alone I would remain until I did Imprint. I spent months begging and pleading to leave the rez in order to find my happiness. Even after finally leaving, once a week, like clockwork I was reminded by a phone call that I was still alone and single. And now, the day has finally come and you wanna question the validity of it? Do I have to prove it to you?" Quil refused to answer, or even look at me, and the realization was, I had my answer. My raft of happiness was sinking fast, as Fate sat there puncturing every floatable surface it could reach.

Bella was gone; having vanished inside the building, but the hurt remained. Pulling out of the furniture lot, I cruised around looking for a diner to eat at. Food was a necessity, even during my semi-emotional breakdown. Stopping at the first place I found, we got out of the car and went inside. Except for placing an order, breakfast was sullen and silent. We had come to an impasse and I had found a resolution. Quil was not going to appreciate the new route. Making up my mind, I cleared my throat to get his attention.

"There's a hotel a few minutes up the road. We'll check in, clean up and then call everyone to phase." Quil may have been surprised at the break in silence, but he was passing it off as disinterest.

"Dude, cell phones? Let's just send out a massive text to let everyone know at once. I'm sure your dad will be relieved to learn that you're in the city for an imprint and not another weekend fling," his tone was lifeless as he sat across from me, playing with a straw wrapper.

"I'm not telling them about the imprint. Well, as much as possible. I plan to issue a creed. As Alpha." Disinterest was gone, true to quick Quil fashion.

"You're gonna fucking cock block us on this shit?" Quil's tenor, now turned soprano, voice combined with volume, sounded like a bad transvestite.

"Why don't you say it a little louder, Quil. As you have already pointed out, I can't keep it a secret and god knows you fuckers have mouths bigger than the Hoover Dam. This way, I'll have the time I need to make this work."

"Make what work? I doubt strolling in there as a phased wolf will catch her attention. At least the appropriate kind of attention you're seeking." His attempt to gall me into believing I didn't have a worthwhile plan had no effect on me this morning. Breakfast had helped a lot with my mood. _Time to lay out the plan..._

"I'm going to find a dog to take to the pound. Bella and I will oh and ah over the poor creature then I'll ask her out." It was simple, soundproof and easy as finger painting.

"Smooth." _Is that sarcasm?_ "And where do you plan on finding this unsuspecting partner in crime?" _Like I haven't thought this out completely._

"I'll just drive around until I see one unattended. People lose their pets all the time. It'll be easy," I shrugged my shoulders. Again, this wasn't rocket science. _Am I speaking Swahili?_ There was no other explanation for the look Quil was giving me.

"Can I write this shit down? The guys will see it of course but the imprints would get a kick out of this as well. I don't want to forget any of the disastrous parts for later." _Yes, it was sarcasm._

"Can it. Are you ready to go?" I asked, giving up any thoughts of him trying to see the sensible side to this.

"What's the hurry? Most check in times isn't until noon. Let's start Plan Cujo now." Quil, resorting back to idiot mode, had to be stopped.

"No. I cannot handle your side comments anymore. You can sit outside in the hotel dumpster for all I care, but you are not joining me on this. Afterward, I'll go back to the hotel to issue the creed and get ready." Fate had an entirely different set of plans.

"You might need help._" Deter, dissuade, impede. Pick any verb; just make sure he is not involved._

"With a dog?" My nonchalance was easy. _I can do this_. Too easy.

"What if it's angry and when you take it in it tries to hurt Bella? She seemed a little clumsy, what if she tripped and you needed to catch her? It wouldn't be possible, while trying to hold onto a raging canine. I could hold the dog while you swooped in to rescue Bella from her untimely demise." And once again Fate was firmly back in control. Quil was just as happy as Fate.

So we left and drove. Forever. Every neighborhood had signs pleading for their lost pets. The city, however, was absolutely empty of dogs. Overtime Fate must make a killing in misery. I_s there any other currency for Fate?_

"What happened to Operation Imprint Fuck Up?" Maybe, if I could keep Quil somewhat happy, he'd be more willing to leave me alone in the future. Quil resembled a three year old in that respect.

"Jeez, do you live in a cave? All of this is part of your operation. But, like all good operations, it's comprised of plans, co-ops if you will." _Strategic__ military planning. Another bad sign._

As the morning bled into afternoon, I was thoroughly educated on how to plan a co-op for anything, from mowing the yard to a romantic evening. If I had to have listened to nails on a chalkboard the entire time, I would have cringed less. By 1pm I was desperate. _Well there's an unusual emotion._

"Let's go back to that one house with the rickety fence. There was a dog there. We'll just nab it and take it down to the pound." Tactile planning was not something Quil should ever do.

"I am not attempting theft for this. It just takes some time. Be patient."

"We could buy a dog. We've passed by several pet stores. Let's just go buy a little ankle-biter and be on our merry way." The idea had merit but seemed wrong. _ What part of this was right? _

Finally I found my saving Grace. A teenager was fumbling down the street. He had seven dogs of varying color and breeds and looked like he could care less at their happiness. Pulling over, I yelled out to the kid, not caring what Quil might make of this.

"Hey kid! Come here." I waited for Junior to make his way over, tugging and pulling on the furry circus with him.

"J, you can't just take a dog while an owner is watching." Quil was blind. This was easier than even I had anticipated.

"I will give you a hundred dollars if I can have one of your dogs. I promise no harm will come to it and you can pick it up tomorrow at the Humane society." Quil was muttering something in the background and I hoped to hell, Junior here, would miss it.

"Which dog?" Junior asked, still not paying attention to anything except the thought of cash.

"I don't care; I just need to borrow it for a few hours." Victory was close.

"A hundred bucks? For any one, my choice?" He stood there contemplating the sky, the sidewalk, the dogs, and the neighborhood. Nothing seemed to be off limits as he searched every particle of matter that surrounded us. _Christ, it's not like I was asking for the square root of pi_. "Make it two hundred and I'll hand over the best one," Junior finally replied.

"Two hundred bucks and you don't even have her number? Man, where the hell is a pen and paper when you need it?" I was willing to pay another two hundred just to not have to listen to my frenemy's whine.

"Deal!" I replied, not caring about Quil's opinion. At this point it wasn't going to matter, I had obtained my goal. Reaching for my wallet I pulled out the requested cash, waiting for a cute cuddly puppy to take to Bella.

The guy stood there staring at the circling mass of leashes and bodies. Finally he leaned over and picked up the smallest one of the group. The thing was smaller than my hand and my hopes soared. Who could resist such a cute little ball of fur? It had a tiny tail and funny little triangle ears. It remained completely silent as the guy approached my window.

"Here's its collar and leash. This little guy is Cha-Cha. You're not gonna like throw out of a moving car or some shit are you?" _Now he has a conscious?_

The dog stared at me, expressionless and I was giddy. Deciding he wasn't really expecting an answer I made the next move to speed up this process.

"Take off the tag, I don't need it." The tag would be a dead giveaway to Bella. I planned on making this look as legitimate as possible. Fate gave another push aimed at Junior and victory started to recede.

"Oh God! You swear you're not going to hurt him? Maybe this isn't such a good idea." _Fuck, Fate had him in the caring citizen role._

Quil leaned over to add his thoughts on the situation. "Kid, I swear, no one is going to hurt the dog. He just needs it to meet a girl. That's all. Once he gets her number the dog will be at the pound, waiting safe and sound." Why, out of everyone on the planet, Junior would be willing to believe Quil, was right up there with the reasoning behind Stone Henge. It was just there and Junior believed Quil.

With the exchange complete, we left to finish the plan. Cha-Cha was loud-loud, snarling and screaming the entire trip. For a creature that weighed less than most meals I ate, the thing had lungs that easily accounted for more than half of its body mass. I never thought I'd see the day when I would willingly wish to be able to hear Quil.

"If this was the best one," Quil bellowed over the monster, "he should have paid you to take it." Wondering what other creature could be worse than this, I stiffened, intending to see my co-op to the finish line.

Arriving back at the humane society, I opted to park directly in front of the building. Despite the audio downfall, I had a plan to complete. Quil sat there, holding my opportunity.

"Here's your ticket, Romeo. Knock her dead, or off her feet. Whatever." A minimal amount of relief flowed, understanding that Quil was going to wait in the car.

Picking up the now silent puppy, I approached the entrance, praying for the best. The single term dead_ man walking _accompanied me.Throwing open the door one-handed, I stepped inside. The odor of animal and bleach was overwhelming and I almost dropped the pup. Recovering, I walked up to the counter to be greeted by an elderly woman. Her name badge said Mary, not that it mattered.

"Can I help you, Sir?" _This is gonna work, this is gonna work._

"Yeah, I was driving by and I found this puppy on a sidewalk. I was hoping I could turn him in?" _Cool, collected, responsible sounding._

"Turn him in? He's not a book, Sir." _Hmm, okay. Let's try diversion._

"Oh, well could the vet check him out? I'd like a word with her concerning the puppy's well being."

"She's busy. Give me the dog. I'll make sure he's taken care of." I pulled the puppy closer to my chest, causing it to indulge in another hysterical rant. This whole thing reeked of Fate

Yip, yip, yip, yip, yip, "I think he needs to be checked over." yip, yip, yip, yip, yip,

"What?"Mary was yelling full force now, in direct competition with the puppy's cries.

Placing my hand over its tiny mouth, I tried again.

"I said, I think he needs to be checked over. He's been screaming nonstop for awhile now." _I can salvage this._

"And he will be, Sir. Give me the dog and everything will be fine. Feel free to leave a donation on the way out." Fate, it had to be Fate. No other force could honestly believe that I would go to so much trouble to just drop off my excuse to see Bella, without actually seeing her. Fate took a step back, as out she walked from a back room.

"Mary, what the heck is going on out her? I can hear the ruckus all the way in the groomer's..." her voice cut off as she looked up from a chart she was scribbling in to meet my inquiring gaze.

"Uh, hi. What are you doing here?" Not exactly the reaction I was looking for.

"This man has a dog he said he found but won't hand it over to me. He's confused or something." Mary could definitely be Fate's mom. She was crotchety enough.

Bella looked down towards my arms, where a struggling, hand muzzled puppy squirmed.

"Is this your dog, Sir?" _Maybe I need a name tag._

"It's Jacob and no, I found him out on the street alone."

"Why don't you bring him back to the exam room so I can check him over, see if he's chipped?" Setting the file down on the counter-top, she held her hands out for the squirming puppy. He hadn't been the most pleasant ball of joy and I worried about this creature scraping her soft hands.

"Can I carry him until we get to the exam room? He's a little spitfire and I'd hate to let him loose in here."

Walking back into the room Bella had previously come from, we entered a room at the end of the hall. Aside from a metal table, set of cabinets and sink the room was bare. Bella patted the table before turning around to open the cabinets. Pulling out some type of electronic gizmo, she walked back to the opposite side of the table of where I was standing. Grasping the puppy, she picked it up and looked at his face before setting him back down and running her fingers over his body.

"He looks well kept; I don't see any abrasions on him. He's not malnourished and his feet are intact. Where did you say you found him?" _From the stupidest kid.._..

"A couple miles from here, he was just sitting there, crying. I figured someone had lost him and might be looking for him." _Like tomorrow when said retard comes back to pick him up._

"If I had to guess, I'd say he was a full blooded Chihuahua. He's pretty tiny to have any other bloodlines in him, but that's not always a factor." Picking up the gizmo thing she ran it over the back of the dog. It beeped and she smiled.

"Looks like you won't be staying here after all, sweetie. Your owners will be very worried about you." Scribbling something down on a piece of paper, Bella looked up and laughed at my expression.

"He's chipped, Jacob." _The irony..._ "I just have to call the company he's registered with and they'll contact the owners to let them know where they can pick him up." Patting my hand she picked up little Cha-Cha and walked back out of the room. She returned quickly, ending my decision on whether or not I was supposed to follow her.

"Wow, that's twice now I've met you in two days. Fate must really want us to interact." _If__ you only knew. _"Come on, I'll show you out," she smiled once more before turning around again and expecting me to follow her. _Where had all of my time gone?_ I had to seize this quickly.

"Weird about sums it up. Maybe we could celebrate…over dinner?" Reaching the lobby, Bella turned to look at me directly. This was the moment. All of my blood, sweat and tears would be paid off with a single answer of yes.

Quil came rushing through the front door interrupting before I could get my answer. Fate wasn't really into classy styles.

"Jacob, the pa-family called. You need to call Sam back soon." The world seized in the most unpleasant fashion. Sam had been temporary Alpha before I stepped up. He knew how to handle any and all situations. The only reason for him to be calling had to boarder on death or the threat of. Bella looked sad and I was torn. Walking over to the counter she grabbed a card and wrote something on the back.

"Here's my number, Jacob," she stated, grabbing my hand and placing the card inside. My fingers closed involuntary over the only thing I presently owned from Bella. "I'd like to go out sometime. Please call me once you've taken care of your family," she smiled once again before turning back to work. And with that, it was over. The only reason I could leave was written on the back of a small business card. I had her number and could call her.

Quil was pulling me outside, while Mary sat there glaring like we were a duo of infamous terrorists. Climbing back into the car, I looked to Quil for my phone. He sat there holding it, staring out the window at nothing.

"You need to call him. Let's get to the hotel and then call." It was worse than I thought, if Quil felt we had to call somewhere for privacy. Fate had taken a hold of all cognizant thoughts and it didn't occur to me to just ask Quil for an overview. I drove north out of the city searching for the closest state park. If push came to shove we could just run home. My car might be towed but I could get it later. Finding an exit to a national forest, I pulled into the first thing that looked like a parking lot before jumping out of the car with Quil in tow. After finding an area that didn't have a human within a 2 mile radius I dialed Sam's cell. His greeting tilted the world once again in a complete one-eighty.

"Jacob, first off I'd like to say congratulations," Sam's voice was even toned and _pleasant?_

"Yeah thanks. What's going on? I'm in the national forest north of the city. Do you need us to run right now?" The intricate puzzle Fate was lying out before me had yet to depict a picture.

"Relax, Jacob. What are you talking about? Did something happen? Quil didn't say anything was wrong." Fate was pushing the pieces together, a hazy form at best.

"Sam, Quil just came and grabbed me from..." I stumbled trying to piece together the words, "and he said I needed to call...Why were you talking to Quil?" Fate had all the pieces in correct formation, just not connected.

"I never called Quil. He was talking to Claire, who is over visiting Emily, and I heard him telling her about your imprint. Why didn't you call, Jacob? Your father will be so happy..." Fate bowed to show me its latest piece of art.

"Stop!" Lowering the phone from my ear I looked back over at Quil. He was still wearing a concerned expression, but suddenly it didn't reek of mythological tragedy. Expression remaining the same, he gave a little wave with his hand.

"Congratulations?" He mumbled.

"Try again, Quil," _more like Condolences,_ "Sam, I'll call you back." Dropping the phone, I didn't even disconnect the line before rushing Quil.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" I was out right yelling and had pinned Quil to the forest floor. "I thought we had an understanding? I thought you understood the severity of this? Why the hell would you tell Sam?" Each question was punctuated with me slamming Quil to the ground over and over. He was trying to talk over my anger but his passive body language told me he knew he was in the wrong.

"J, just listen. Ow. I was bored, so when you went into the vet's office, I called Claire. Fuck, that hurts. It just slipped. I was going to tell her not to say anything, but Sam overheard and grabbed the phone." Stopping the assault, I sat staring blankly at the surrounding trees. Fate had committed its crime, while effectively setting up an alibi. Had I enforced the creed beforehand, not even the threat of death would have made Quil break. In my hasty plans, Fate had found the needed flaw and had won another round. Not that I was counting.


	5. Fate, Party of How Many?

**Fate, Party of how many?**

The clock read 4:37 p.m. and I counted one, two, three...sixty-seven, sixty-eight, sixty-nine...eighty-three, eighty-four. Looking once again at the clock I realized it hadn't changed. How I had managed to let Quil talk me out of calling Bella right away, I'll never know. Of course why I was still letting Quil talk to me at all was an equal mystery. There was no willing time to move faster, Fate was holding down the rewind button to Father Time.

"You know, J, we're werewolves, not superheroes. You can't shoot lasers out of your eyes no matter how long and hard you stare at the clock." Quil was a dog, well sort of. Maybe I could fasten one of the shock collars around his neck. Then I could just zap him, every time he felt the need to talk.

"I'm simply hoping time will speed up a little so I can call Bella." Giving up on the clock I leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes. Fate had complete control anyway.

"How's that working out for you?" _Zap, zap, zap. How many times can one use such a collar?_

"About as well as your short life, unless you turn on a brain filter." I gave up on the collar idea. Even if I could use it, Quil would undoubtedly turn it into another appliance of horror.

"So, tell me again where we're going to dinner?" Quil was almost glowing with this new development that Sam had suggested.

Fate had ensured that with Sam's phone call, Quil would snag an invitation to dinner with us. Sam was just as surprised and stunned as Quil that I had imprinted on someone not of Native American descent. And while he didn't suggest in so many words that I might be mistaken, he insisted that I should stay within range of Quil at all times after hearing about her unlikely family ties.

"Jacob, what if there are still vampires in the area that know Bella and approach her? She could get caught in a deadly crossfire and be harmed, not even knowing why." Once Sam had explained his rationale, I had enough doubts to pause. Until I could talk to her about her walking, hemo-virus sibling wannabes, another encounter could cause an unplanned battle. Of course, Quil accompanying us to dinner just might be the worst of the two scenarios.

"I don't know where we are going, Quil. It's bad enough I need you to go with us, the least I can do to make up for it is let Bella choose the restaurant." None of us werewolves ever argued about food. Like any human we certainly had our favorites, but in the end our metabolic needs would be satisfied with any entree.

"That's a really bad idea, dude. Chicks always pick those crappy little bistro's or salad shops. Whatever, as long as it's none of that shitty, sushi shit. How the hell is it even edible? Raw, tiny pieces of algae and fish. I could get the same effect from sticking my hand in an aquarium at PetSmart."_ Any werewolf except for Sally-Quil._

"I'll be sure not to mention any of the shit you just supplied me with. In fact, if Bella wants sushi, your ass can sit in the car with a pizza, on leech lookout."

"Nice try, Romeo. No, I'm pretty sure Sam wants us to stay within sight of each other. Sitting outside doesn't meet that requirement."

"Have you forgotten who is Alpha here? Sam simply suggested I bring you along for leech duty. Consider that my gift to you, Quil. Besides, do you honestly plan on following me everywhere? What if I get up to go to the bathroom?"

"Jacob, the whole reason for us to be together is to keep your imprint safe. If you have to leave the table to powder your nose or choke your chicken, I'll stay and keep Bella safe." Clearly that is what he would tell Bella verbatim if I did leave the table.

"Oh, god, I think I'd feel better if vampires talked to her." Come to think of it, most people would probably choose death over having to listen to Quil.

"That hurts, bro. You know I'll only talk to her with words and gestures; no teeth, no sucking."

"Keep it up, Quil. We might be able to heal fast as shit, but I doubt even a werewolf can grow back his tongue."

"Claire might kill you for that one. She's rather fond of my tongue. It comes in second to my..."

"Quil!"

"Guess what her third favorite part is?" I didn't even need to look at his face to picture his dirty lust.

"Her third favorite part of life? Probably that I drag your unscrupulous ass out of her house every couple of months to give her peace of mind."

"Jeez, you're grumpy as fuck, Jake. Quit bitchin' already and call Bella. It's 5:00."

Snapping my eyes open, I lunged for the phone, holding on tightly to the business card Bella had given me. On the front it contained the Humane Society seal with a business phone number and the title Dr. Isabella Cullen, D.V.M. Flipping over the card to where Bella had written a different number, I reverently typed out the digits holding my breath as the phone began to ring.

"Hello," she answered, her voice soft, welcoming and entirely perfect.

"Hi, Bella, it's Jacob. I was just calling to see if you still wanted to go out tonight?"

"No!" That single word had caused many a men to agonize in defeat. I was now on that list, too. "He has absolutely no manners!" _Well, if she was talking about Quil, I couldn't argue there._ "Do not place those two in the same cage!" Desperately I prayed that 'cage' was not a euphemism for restaurant.

"I'm sorry, Jacob." _ Not as sorry as Quil is about to be._ "I'm still at work trying to finish up a few things. Could we maybe push dinner back to later, maybe around seven? That should give me enough time to go home and change." Every muscle I possessed lost any and all tension, including my vocal chords.

"Hello? Jacob? Did I lose you?" Quil's less than gentle kick resumed the proper coordination.

"No, I'm still here. Sorry, for a second there I thought you were telling me no to dinner."

"I was honest when I told you I would be happy to go out to dinner with you. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, is there someplace you'd like to go? I'm up for anything." Quil's vehement head shaking, while attempting to vocalize a sound that resembled Flipper the dolphin gagging, had me turning away and walking down the hall to one of the bedrooms in the suite.

"There's a place out on Central that serves really great burgers. Does that sound okay?"

"Perfect! Like I said, I'm easy to please." Even Fate couldn't miss Quil's snort or disparaging remark of, "Are you ever!"

"Okay, well, do you need directions?"

"No, that's okay. I'm familiar with the area. Can I pick you up?" Quil was probably going to throw a fit about sitting in the back seat but if need be I would have no problem twisting him into a pretzel and shoving him in the trunk.

"I think it would be better if I just meet you there." There was just the smallest trace of nervousness in her voice and I had to wonder if maybe she was embarrassed about where she lived. We would work on that later.

"That's fine." _Not really but what could I do?_ "Well, I'll see you at seven then. Please call me if something comes up or you can't make it." _ Or you change your mind about a ride there._

"I'm pretty sure I'll be there. I'll see you at seven. Bye, Jacob."

"Bye, Bella," closing the phone, I strolled back out into the living room where a solemn Quil sat, watching me.

"Thank fucking God! Damage control would have been intense if she had chosen sushi. Did you not get my signal?" _Signals? About as well as the rest of them..._

"Quil, why do you even think you have any say in this? You lucked out, Bella didn't choose sushi, but even if she had we would have gone."

"That's what you think."

"What I think is we need to set some ground rules here, like you can't say anything, at all, the whole evening." This was obligatory. A non-speaking Quil would cause fewer side-effects of upset he was able to inflict.

"And if she wants to talk to me? Am I to have suddenly lost my voice?" _The blissful possibilities..._

"You can answer her, but bare minimum. None of your usual terrorizing side plays, please. And so help me, not even a fucking innuendo to sex or the life of, yours, mine, hers, none."

"What if she brings it up? No pun, I swear, I meant if she brings up the topic?" Quil lived for puns, despite his contrary remark.

"If Bella brings up the topic of sex, I doubt you'll be in the near vicinity. And if you are, you better be leaving. Quickly!"

"No one truly appreciates voyeuristic tendencies anymore." Only someone like Quil could make that term sound like a cherished heirloom.

"You get all the voyeurism you could possible want from the pack mind. Missing one night of realism won't kill you."

"It might."

"It won't." _Fate wasn't that kind._

"It could." The only way to end his tantrum was to just throw in the towel and tell the three year old it just was and leave it at that.

"Then I'll make sure we have the best funeral possible, closed casket of course. Make sure you die in wolf form so we can have you stuffed and mounted at the lodge."

"If it did, would you miss me?" He seemed to be pondering other possibilities and I couldn't resist giving him the truth.

"Not at all." I waited for his hurtful looks. Curling his lip in a semi-snarl with one arm outstretched in a poor proxy, of looking like a wolf, he looked at me.

"What do you think? For the taxidermy?"

Laughing loudly, I gave him some more truth. "I think you need more help than I have to offer."

Now that I had an actual conformation on dinner, Fate gave up the remote to time. At twenty till we left the hotel making the fifteen minute drive to the restaurant. It was packed and parking was a bitch. Finally finding a spot, I realized Bella was already here, her car parked much closer than ours to the entrance.

The place was loud, like all restaurants on a weekend night. Fate had convinced every single person in a twelve block radius to eat at this one establishment. My eyes found Bella before she had even turned around to see who had entered. Finally, feeling the breeze from outside, she spun around catching sight of us. I wasn't trying to ogle her but she looked sexy dressed in a pair of brown pants and a loose sweater tied around her. Fashion wise, it was similar to many of the other professionals out for the night but her beauty alone set her apart from everyone else. Almost every male, young or old, turned his head at least once to take a look but she never even noticed. Closing the distance, she started to say something when a large group of drunken well wishers started singing some horrible rendition of Happy Birthday. Using the pretense to hear her better, I leaned forward, relishing in the closeness and her scent.

"Oh, um, sorry I didn't realize your brother would be with us." Ah, yes, my brother. A brother who lacked all class and was leaning in also over my shoulder. Not even pretending, he inhaled deeply, before releasing both his breath and comment.

"Damn, you smell hot!" My look of murder and Bella's of surprise had him backtracking, "I mean, you look hot."

I tried for a look of apology and pleading, hoping a werewolf chat with Quil wouldn't be needed before we had even been seated. Bella gave me a look of uncertainty before attempting to reply.

"Thank you...," she was scrambling for a name.

"Quil. Quil Ateara," he announced loudly, thrusting out his hand to shake Bella's in greeting. She took it hesitantly, questions written all over her face. Giving Quil a look, he took a step back so I could try to explain the situation of our dinner guest without raising suspicion.

"I'm sorry. I really wanted to leave him at the hotel but he's been kind of miserable, missing his fiancé. So I figured the least I could do was let him tag along." She seemed to accept the answer at face value but still had questions of her own.

"I thought your last name was Black? That's what came up on the caller ID when you called earlier. Are you guys half brothers?" I was riding solo here, having no clue where this was leading to. Did she think we were trying to play some type of game with her? That had to be the reason for the concern.

"No, I mean we both have different parents, we're not really brothers and yes, my last name is Black. It's just, where we grew up is a somewhat small community. All of our families have been there for generations and everybody knows everyone, so it kind of feels like one big family. Sorry about the confusion." Smiling, her face relaxed, any apprehensions she may have been harboring, disappearing at this new font of information.

"It's okay, I was just wondering. We need to find the hostess though. I didn't realize that there would be three of us."

We were seated without any complications over the added person and thankfully the Birthday Beer Boys had left the restaurant. Conversation was flowing smoothly between Bella and myself with only an occasional quip from Quil. Bella, bless her, was treating Quil with a patience reserved for the criminally insane and mentally challenged. All areas Quil qualified highly for. Every time the conversation drifted towards family, I was cringing, waiting for Fate to team up in Quil and drop all niceties, diving head first into a difficult topic.

Deciding that sooner was better than later, I ventured towards the unspeakable, at the pace of a snail.

"So, how old are you, Bella?"

"Twenty-two."

"Wow, that's really young to be a vet. Don't you have to go to school for like eight years or something?"

"My parent's home schooled us. I had my high school diploma by 16, CLEPed out of my BS by 18 and just graduated vet school last year." She wasn't bragging, just speaking frankly. Despite being a college grad myself, I suddenly felt like I was beneath her on some invisible intellectual status.

"What do your parents do for a living?" At this point, I didn't really want to know. Unless she said they were politicians, there really wasn't any profession that could describe soulless, blood sucking creatures.

"My dad's a doctor and my mom's an interior designer." It was candid and innocent, not a hint of disaster. Quil was still silent as I ventured forward a little more.

"Any brothers or sisters?" _Like the vicious, monster kind?_

"Yes, I have three brothers and two sisters." _Oh, thank god. He was a brother, not a lover._

"Your parents were busy, huh? Where do you fall in line at?" It was like an involuntary response on Quil's part. He just couldn't sit out. _What part of no sex at all did Quil miss?_

"I'm the last one." Her voice had changed, like she was struggling with herself on how far to take it.

"That's an odd way to phrase it." I stepped on Quil's toes, hoping to get him to shut up. He wasn't picking up on Bella's discomfort at all.

"Bella, you don't have to answer him." I applied more pressure to his toes, attempting to make my point.

Bella stared at me a moment before continuing, "No, it's okay. I'm not ashamed." Turning back to Quil, "I'm adopted."

"No shit!" Yelping abruptly, Quil scooted away from me, no longer wanting to feel the grinding of his toes underneath my heel. I was pissed and torturing Quil with pain to get rid of Fate's grip on him was supposed to help. "Sorry, I was just surprised. You seem so well adjusted." It was self evident what Quil was referring to. Of course, recognition was lost to those who knew nothing of vampires.

"Do you really think all adopted children turn out badly?" Nobody had ever sounded more venomous than Bella did. This was not good. Even Fate was putting on safety gear for this round.

"No, I didn't mean it-" Werewolf Quil didn't stand a chance at pulling both feet back out of his mouth to save this; Bella wasn't giving him any chance for redemption.

"Because all of my siblings have done really well for themselves. All of us are adopted but they all suffer from a serious medical condition." Clearly Bella was working herself up into a full rage, combined with some weird delusional aftermath.

"Bella, look I'm sorry, I know. I saw them at the airport-" _J__ust leave your feet in your mouth, Quil. It'll be a lot less painful._

"Then if you knew, why don't you realize the severity of it. Despite their handicap they have succeeded well. Our parents were Saints, to have adopted them with such a disabling ailment and then adopting someone like me who is normal." It was like listening to two people arguing in different languages. Fate was acting as the interpreter and not even attempting to translate.

"For now. It won't be long before they change you too." Stupidity bounds were a loss when Quil was involved.

"It's not contagious, you can't help the genetic makeup you are dealt."

This verbal take down needed severing quickly or at least a reroute. "Bella, what exactly do they suffer from?"

"Jake, we all know that they're vampires."

"That's a really derogatory comment, Quil." Turning towards me, Bella began sharing the information we had been hoping for. Of course, it was nothing we were expecting. "Every member of my family suffers from Xeroderma Pigmentosum or XP for short. Any time spent in the sunlight causes irreparable damage to their skin, almost instantly causing cancer. Most who suffer from it die incredibly young but since our parents also suffer from it, every precaution has been taken to keep them safe."

I racked my brain for the term that had been learned a long time ago in a distant biology class. XP was a rare human genetic disorder, so rare in fact that probably less than 500 people in the world were currently living with the condition. It wasn't just sunlight though they had to stay away from; any UV light could instill damage to a person with XP. How could a woman with a degree in science be so blinded by such a lie?

"Bella, have you ever researched the condition?" _Nobody could be this ignorant._

"I asked my family questions when I was younger, but the reality is, nothing can change it. My mom took me aside once and explained that it was hard to accept such a thing and that by trying to understand it, I would just end up hurting them." Shrugging her shoulders, she continued, "I can't help them and knowing the specifics won't change that. I've just learned to accept it for what it is and moved on. Thankfully it's only limited to humans, so with the briefest of references in several classes it never really came up."

"Gramps is going to love this turn of events," Quil muttered. Kicking him in the shin made him realize where exactly the turn would have to take place. "Bella, I am really sorry." He wasn't the only one. We were going to have to be the ones to bring light to the circumstances. Her world would be disrupted forever. There were no manuals or support groups for people finding out reality extended beyond what most thought. Nothing in the world could comfort her when the realization that her family would be lost to her. Not from some unsuspecting genetic factor but from Fate, setting up a tragedy to end all.

Bella just sat there and kind of sniffled before responding with an, "It's okay, just forget it."

We were saved of anymore discussion, arriving in the form of our waitress asking for our drink order. Bella and I ordered iced tea, whether it would be sweet or not was questionable. Our waitress couldn't seem to figure out if we were saying sweet or un-sweet. Quil ordered the largest margarita known to man by simply pointing out the picture on the menu. Simply nodding yes to the questions of frozen or on the rocks and salt or no salt, the waitress just gave up and left.

"She was pretty ditzy, Quil, is she adopted?" Bella snapped. _ Nope, interruption didn't save us anything._

"Oh, I like her. She's a keeper, Jake."

"Bella, I swear if we can pretend that the jerk sitting here is a figment of our imagination, I'll make it up to you anyway you want."

"That's rather brave of you." She was smiling again and I couldn't help the thoughts of how she might want me to make it up to her.

"I'll say," Quil muttered as the waitress returned with our drinks and took our order.

"Remind me to introduce you to my sister, Rose. She's an expert when it comes to teaching boys their manners." At this point, I would have happily thrown Quil to the monsters myself.

"Whatever you say, cupcake." Bella instantly picked up on the sleaziness Quil had laced in the word.

"Cupcake?" She was looking at me for the new meaning.

I simply shook my head, playing dumb. This whole evening had been treacherous, at best. I had no doubt that, if Quil mentioned anything about last night's activities at all, we just might end up in jail.

"Yeah, cupcake. You know like-" The jig was up and once again I had to salvage a conversation that could send both of us to prison.

"Quil thinks it cute to give out little terms of endearment to all female acquaintances." At this point I could care less if I actually made him sound like the sexist chauvinistic pig he was. Whatever his reasoning for the term cupcake, neither Bella nor I could benefit from the knowledge

"I'll let it slide. Besides we all have that one sad, little friend who can't help themselves." She had Quil pegged to a T and I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm not weird or sad; just different." Quil was sounding defensive and Bella felt the need to accept the challenge.

"Really? What did you dream about last night?" My smile left.

"Quil doesn't dream. He's a sound sleeper, always has been."That should have been the end of it but Fate seemed to be enthralled with thoughts of the sleeping.

"Don't be silly. Everybody dreams. Dissecting them can explain a lot about a person." Bella seemed really interested and Quil took the opportunity, running full force with it.

"Yeah, Jake, don't be silly." Giving me his signature you-are-about-to-be-screwed smirk he turned back fully to Bella. "Well, Bella, last night I dreamed about puppies." His tone was way too innocent for puppies. _Where the hell is the waitress with our food?_

"And what were you doing with the puppies, Quil?" This was it. Fate had us speeding into a brick wall. Survivors were not to be expected.

"Oh, I don't know. Just playing with them; keeping them entertained and safe." Bella's look clearly said she wouldn't be able to make anything out of it. But I knew Quil.

"What about you, Bella? Do you like dogs?" Quil thought he was being sly, but I had every intention of commanding him to celibacy for 6 months if we ever got through this evening.

"I don't think I could be a vet if I didn't like dogs. They maintain a simple lifestyle without any complications." Her answer caused me to smile again. Our lifestyles were anything but simple.

Stepping in before Quil could continue his downward spiral into mutiny, I attempted to bypass. "So, do you come here often?" There was a lifetime for us to learn each other's non-important secrets. _No need to rush it._

"Quite a bit, actually. Not the restaurant but there's a club I go to a couple times a month, nearby."

Quil's eyes lit up and intervention was mandatory. Slapping my hand over his mouth, grinning sheepishly at Bella, I took point. "Sorry about this. I figured his Tourette's was about to make another appearance." His over exaggerated innocence leaked from his eyes, telling me he was in fact just about to ask what kind of sex club she was referring to.

"A dance club? Really?" This was fantastic news. I hadn't been to any type of social gathering in a long time. Spending a fun filled evening in a club, grinding against each other had a lot of merit. "Do you want to go after dinner?"

Bella was intelligent, nothing about her indicated otherwise. Her casualness and acceptance of someone as rough as Quil, attested to a naivety that was sorely lacking in our generation. She definitely wasn't a pushover; her earlier sparing with Quil confirmed that. Had I not been waiting for my imprint through college, she would have been the type of woman I'd marry in a heartbeat. It seemed Fate had made a slip somewhere, because this was definitely a win in my favor.

Her cell started beeping and Bella grabbed for her purse, hastily opening it, trying to locate the phone. Quil had removed my hand and was leaning over the table trying to peer inside as well.

"What are you looking for?" The sound was lost to everyone but him, as my lips barely moved, trying to drawl his attention.

"Condoms or birth control. Anything to suggest whether you're going to get lucky tonight." Fate might as well just paint a permanent expression of surprise on my face. If it wasn't for imprinting, Quil would be single. No woman would put up with this crap. I hadn't realized, until this moment, how obstreperous Quil had become. This last jolt had me wondering why Claire hadn't filed a restraining order by now. Thankfully, Bella knew where the phone was. Quickly grabbing it, she shut her purse, answering her phone.

Quil sat back looking disappointed. While I once again began wondering if I should just send him outside, the waitress arrived with our food. Both of us sat there sniggering while the waitress rearranged the plates several times trying to remember who had ordered what. She gave up promptly and left the table. Quil handed me my plate, while I set Bella's in front of her and giving Quil his. Bella was closing her phone, muttering about simple directions. Seeing that our food had arrived, she smiled throwing her phone into her purse too quickly for Quil to even have a shot at looking for contraceptives.

Finally, agreeing to go to her club, conversation resumed between us without any type of verbal warfare. Occasionally I'd throw a glance towards Bella as she delicately bit into her burger, taking almost small measured servings. Quil, on the other hand, was shoveling food into his mouth so fast, choking would be inevitable. After just a few minutes, Bella sighed and placed her burger back down on the plate.

I didn't want her to feel obligated to eat something she didn't like so I offered the only thing I could think of. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to. You can order something else if you want." Quil had stopped eating, just waiting for his chance at sage advice.

"I don't think they serve what I'm missing." Her cheeks were turning a soft pink as she picked up her sandwich to resume its consumption.

"Damn, girl! You could have just told him you wanted to meet at the hotel; I would have gone for a walk or something." The innuendo to sex was so poignant, that several nearby patrons turned to stare. Bella's look of utter embarrassed surprise caused her cheeks to turn almost red as her eyes fell downward. I, myself was at a loss. _I might seriously have to remove his tongue. _

Despite the humiliation, Bella was not going to let the idea rest there. "I was, uh, referring to peanut butter." She was mumbling, hoping that would clear it all up. Fate, however, was just getting started.

"Peanut Butter! Really? Well, that's kind of kinky. Crunchy or smooth?" Quil's eyes were flashing at the possibilities. Bella's were stuck at horror, not wanting to comprehend what he was referencing to. She sat there shaking her head back and forth slowly, maybe in hopes that he would disappear. Quil made sure that wasn't the case.

Taking in her attempt at denial, he pushed forward. "If you're not talking about some weird sex thing, and trust me it is weird, what the hell are you talking about?" Quil had the look of someone about to be honored with knowledge more promising than the Kama Sutra. Half the restaurant had the same look and I knew for a fact Fate was lurking in the shadows placing bets on whether or not, entertainment wise, if it would be more beneficial to their happiness to have Bella knee him in the groin or share a new wonder.

"I was talking about using it as a condiment. You know for my sandwich?" Pointing to her burger in an attempt to illustrate what she was talking about.

Quil's hearing was just as sharp as mine. Despite her mumbling, the word condiment was clear. Unfortunately, add to the mixture Quil's ideas and the word easily shaped into something else.

"A condom? For a sandwich? Oh man, now I know I have heard it all." Someone on the other side of the restaurant fell off their chair, attempting to better hear the conversation. Not that it was needed, Quil only had one volume.

"Condiment, you idiot. Like ketchup or mustard." Holding up a bottle, I tried making my point to him. It might have worked, but Fate went with option C.

"Are you pregnant?" Quil screeched, still not relenting on his peanut butter fantasies. The other people still eavesdropping were losing interest, assuming it was a pregnancy thing. If I still had food in my mouth, I would have suffocated multiple times over the simple audacity of his entire line of questioning. Fate decided to stir up my own demons, the implication that normal people did not each such an oddity, but that pregnant women did.

Bella was obviously not over the shock, but she pushed it aside. Most would have jumped to anger, she went with justification. "My mom was always encouraging us to try new and different things. She was always sniffing and smelling foods, sauces, plants, basically anything then mixing and matching, coming up with some wonderful creations. I always told her she should publish a cookbook. Peanut butter on burgers is just another delightful treat Mom taught me."

"God, that's worse than sushi any day," Quil grumbled, turning back to his food half-halfheartedly. It was official. Werewolves could become nauseous.

I found it difficult to eat as well, thoughts of a lifetime of inedible food tainting my appetite. Dinner continued relatively quiet and before I knew it the waitress came back over asking if we wanted dessert. I held my breath, praying that Fate's dinner script was over. I should have realized they had already moved on to the next scene.


	6. Refraining Fate

**Refraining Fate**

Leaving the restaurant we discussed the sensibility in taking both vehicles three blocks over to the club. Quil was prancing behind us like a little boy that needed to pee. He really wanted to ride in Bella's car and kept insisting we should just all ride with her. Both of us gave him dubious looks before Bella just asked if I would mind following in my own vehicle. Agreeing to meet outside the entrance, I dragged away a recalcitrant Quil.

From the outside, the club looked like any other club-type establishment I had visited while in college. The outside was solid walls without any type of windows. There weren't any signs or endorsements to indicate it was even a place of business and if it wasn't for a line of people waiting for entrance, I would have guessed it to be empty. Bella was more than familiar with the place. Not even bothering to stand in line, she walked over to where the bouncers were letting people trickle in a few at a time. She had some type of ID she simply flashed to the guard and he let her in, all smiles. One look at Quil and I vaporized the man's smile but didn't stop us for entering just as easily as Bella. As we crossed the first set of doors into a hallway, the pulsing of music could be felt through the floor. Once we crossed the next set of doors it was another story.

The building was entirely too small for the amount of people shoved inside, it was like the equivalent to swimming in Jell-o. Body after body was pressed against one another as individuals attempted to move from one location to another. Copious amounts of alcohol were present, and even without a werewolf sense, my nostrils would have burned at the barrage of different scents of ethanol spirits. If it wasn't for the multitude of strobes and black lights, the place would have been pitch black to most. Oddly it reminded me of a full moon, casting enough light to clearly make out everything but not enough for detail. Now that we were inside the music was more felt than heard, every bass note reverberating along the floorboards and through the walls, a sonic symphony fueling the scene. _Okay maybe this is nothing like college._

"Fuck, this is a Rave!" With those parting words Quil shimmied out into the mass of bodies. Bella and I were both laughing uncontrollably by the time he was half way across the dance floor. Werewolves may have a natural grace but it could only take one so far. Compared to the intricate Ravers around him, Quil resembled a patient receiving shock treatment therapy who wasn't strapped down.

"Come on, Jacob! You're not shy, are you?" Letting go of my hand, Bella simply melded into the crowd of dancers and was streamlining with the mass, heading in a general direction towards Quil but far enough away to pretend ignorance of association. She had lost her sweater somewhere and the metallic flecks in her gold shirt hypnotized me, the strobes gliding across like a beacon, as I watched her assimilate into to the music. Her dance was in no way sexual but consisted of a tempting tone none the less. She was shy, but in a place with this many people she was just one more body, not calling any specific attention to herself. Diving in the movement, I flowed with her enjoying the closeness and intimacy it brought forth.

After several songs or tempo changes, it was kind of hard to tell the difference, she was panting and out of breath. "I need a drink."

"Come on." Capturing her hand we managed to emerge from the loop, heading towards a bar. Several people shouted out hellos and Bella just waved absently, acknowledging the greetings. By the time we hit the counter she already had a drink waiting for her. Quirking an eyebrow in my direction, the freaky guy behind the bar looked at me. I pointed at Bella's drink, indicating I'd like the same thing.

Grabbing her glass, she eyed the drink cautiously before muttering thanks to the bartender. Bringing the beverage up to her lips, she tipped it forwards letting the liquid slide over her lips. Gasping slightly she set it back down on the counter just as the freak was returning with my drink.

"Do you not like it?" I asked before picking up my own glass, I sniffed it once before tipping back as well.

"It's not that, I just don't trust him." Jerking her head, she indicated the freaky guy who had moved down to the other end of the bar to serve a new set of clients. "I've had to tell him repeatedly that I'm just here to relax. A few hours a month, I just mingle without having to engage in convoluted socializing skills." Abruptly she changed the subject. "Where's Quil?" she asked searching the crowd.

"Someone put him out of his misery and unplugged him. He's over there." Pointing towards an upper level where his head was just visible over the banister. Bella started laughing again when she realized he was actually trying to get away from some girl who thought the word no was code for yes. She might not have thought it was quite so funny if she could hear the actual conversation, but Quil could fight his own battles.

"I never would have pegged you as a Raver." I announced in complete awe of this woman. At dinner she had done nothing but blush over Quil's vagary, yet out on a dance floor she had surged and coursed through the motions like it was nothing more than breathing.

"What can I say? I'm self conscious as it is. At least here everyone's pretty much too far gone and wasted to notice any faux pas I might possess dancing."

"You have no reason to be self conscious at all. You're an excellent dancer." The adoration may have been thick but I didn't care, I was beyond in love.

"Blame it on my siblings. One would think that all they did was live at a club. Every time we visit each other or travel somewhere we end up at a local club."

I wanted to hear more about what other facets she held and why she might think it was some type of fault but Bella had other ideas. Swallowing the last of her drink, she slammed the glass down and stood up grabbing my hand, "Come on, let's dance some more." Once again she moved out onto the dance floor, this time to a less crowded area. Maybe half an hour had passed before Bella slowed her movements almost like she couldn't understand the rhythm anymore.

"Tired already?" I teased. She shook her head slightly but it wasn't in answer to my question. "Bella are you okay?" Tilting her head upwards, I searched for signs of her sudden behavior. Her eyes were slightly dilated and glassy. Unless she was in liver failure the alcohol shouldn't have affected her like this. I reached out to steady her swaying when her arms encircled my chest.

"Jacob, will you kiss me?" Her question came out subdued and unsure, and any thoughts I may have had of something being wrong disappeared.

I should have said no. But maybe she really wanted to. She was by no means intoxicated. Besides we were in a public place with three hundred other people, what could go wrong? Leaning down I slowly brushed my lips over hers. The action was soft and hesitant, somehow turning forceful and all consuming. Tongues were not involved and already I was as hard as a rock. Picking her up, she wrapped her legs around my waist. Using my abdomen as a pedestal she inched up and forward, latching onto my ear, licking and nipping as I performed the same actions to her neck and collar bone.

Fate must have had the remote to Father Time again. The music had stopped and people were moving briskly towards the exits. Pulling back, I became aware of the cops that were in force at the bar. Bella was oblivious to all of it. Before I could even read the situation, Quil was at my side.

"Come on, dude, we gotta leave. Someone was rushed to the hospital for a drug overdose or something and her last known location was here. The cops are attempting to interrogate everyone to see who she got them from." The sound of his voice caused Bella to stop her assault on my ear.

"So? Drugs are often common at clubs. Someone took some shit they couldn't handle. What's the big deal?" _Why would I care and how could I convince Bella to continue?_

"The big deal is that it was some date rape drug. Most of these people are regulars and have never had a problem. Enter into the scene two guys, like us, who have never been here and fingers start to point."

"Shit!" _ Her glassy eyes, the sudden make out session._

"Exactly, let's go." Quil was pushing us towards a back exit, full force as even more cops began swarming the club. Several men in business suits appeared and were arguing with the cops, allowing more people to leave. Once outside, Quil stopped pushing and we quickly walked halfway down the street to where we had parked earlier. Once we were clear of the club, I stopped, turning to explain the situation to Quil.

"No, I mean I think Bella may have somehow come in contact with it. And I have a pretty good idea who gave it to her."

"You let your girl do drugs?" Retreating from the direction of the car, he gave me a questioning look.

"No! Jesus, stop to listen to all the facts before you invent some story. The bartender had Bella's drink ready before she even got there to order. She said she knew him, so it didn't seem strange. But look."

I set Bella down on her feet, lightly holding on to her hips in case she collapsed. She was still swaying despite the lack of music and had a smile on her face. Quil's look told me what I should have already known.

"Bella, the dance is over sweetie. Come on let's go to the hospital and make sure you're okay."

"Okay." She mimicked, opening her eyes slightly still smiling.

"Not okay." Quil said.

"What? Yes, we are taking her to the hospital to make sure she is okay."

"Jake, look at her. Yeah, she probably has ingested some of the drug. But aside from the passiveness, she's not ill. Just let her sleep it off" Shaking my head negatively, he continued "She may not want the stigma an event like this can cause. Here you have a professional of the community, who winds up drugged and labeled when none of it was even her fault. The media can definitely cause more harm than good if they were to catch wind of it." Fate was off in the corner holding a camera for emphasis, and for once I thought Quil might be correct. Bella herself had said she didn't like to stand out. If the cops were already involved the media wouldn't be far behind. Still, I made an attempt to vocalize the correct response.

"Quil, when people take illegal drugs, it's dangerous. I need to make sure she's okay. What if she has a seizure or something? It'll look that much worse if we take her to the ER in a couple of hours. We might look guilty now but later would be an obvious giveaway."

"Yeah, but we're not guilty. And if she was going to seize it would have already happened. She'll be fine, I promise. Worst case is she'll have one hell of a headache tomorrow, that's it." Guilty looking was not my concern. Bella surviving to even have someone to blame held the only interest.

"How do you even know? You have no idea of what she was given."

"There's only one date-rape drug, Jacob. She's fine; she's not sweating or experiencing chills. Some people willingly take it for the peaceful effect it can ensue. I promise she'll be okay." He spoke assuredly and I had to ask.

"Do I even want to know why you are such an expert?" Fate was off whistling a theme of whimsical nonsense.

"Probably not." _Thanks a lot Fate._

"Please tell me it wasn't illegal, that you didn't use it to take advantage of some unsuspecting female."

"Nothing like that, I swear. Everyone was a willing participant." Queries of Quil's past indulgences would have to wait for now. There were no undertones of ploy in his voice but the best option right now was to get her home.

"Bella, come on let me drive you home. Quil can follow with your vehicle..."

"Yes!" hissed Quil ecstatically.

"...Or we can pick it up tomorrow." Bella just gave a small giggle before repeating tomorrow. At the very least, she needed to be somewhere where someone could keep a close eye on her.

"Come on Quil. Let's just take her back to the hotel. You can drive her car there so she'll have it tomorrow."

"Jacob, do you really think that's wise? Us, hauling in a drugged woman up to our suite. Don't you think it might raise some questions with the staff?"

"We can't just leave her alone at her place. She would absolutely flip out if she woke up with the three of us sprawled out in her apartment."

"Riiiight" Quil replied, drawing out the word. "Because waking up in someone's hotel room whom she's just met makes so much more sense. Just take her back to her place, tuck her in and we can leave." I knew he was trying to keep her best interest above everything else, but unlike me, he wasn't thinking with his imprint factor.

"Bella is coming back to the suite with us. She can have my room and I'll crash on the couch."_ Or really close like..._

"Or the floor next to her." He had recognized the look and was reminding me that I shouldn't push this.

"I'll be able to hear her just fine from the living room." _Maybe I could push the couch into the hallway outside the bedroom door?_

"Whatever, dude. It's your funeral. Do I still get to drive her car?" He couldn't read my mind, but he could see the gears turning as I tried to tame the imprint factor.

"Yes, but remember just because it's built like a tank doesn't mean you are to drive it like one. The last thing we need right now if for you to reenact scenes from that X-box game you play, Afterburn." Visions of Quil behind the wheel in Bella's Camry as he tried mowing down everything in his path while Fate sat on the sidelines holding up score cards like an Olympic event flashed without my consent.

"Well, thanks for ruining my night, Jake. Let's go, grandpa, if we have to drive like old people I'd at least like to make it back there before tomorrow."

"Shut up, Quil. Here" tossing him Bella's keys, I picked her back up, placing her head resting on my shoulder and her legs loosely on either side of my waist "Just get the damn thing there in one piece. Wait for me in the parking garage."

"Sure because two men dragging a drugged woman up looks so much less devious than one."

"You're right. In fact your ass better be locked up in your own room before we get there. I don't want to see or hear from you again until tomorrow."

"Whatever, dude. Later" With that he skipped off towards Bella car, jumping in and speeding off like an Indy driver.

Sighing, I made my way to my car, placing Bella inside and buckling her seat belt. Gently I ran my hand over her forehead, relieved that she didn't have fever or chills like Quil had mentioned earlier.

Getting into the hotel wasn't really a problem. While not lucid, Bella seemed completely placid when instructed to walk, stop, and stand. She would still sway if I removed my arms, so I kept them fixated in a loose circle around her, like any other young couple out for a night of fun. Nobody was watching or even paying in attention to us as I herded her into the elevator and up to the 23rd floor, where my suite was located.

Quil was already there, in his room with the door firmly closed. I could hear him talking on the phone with Claire, and I was happy for the distraction from an ever so insightful Quil. I led Bella back to my room and sat her on the edge of the bed where she immediately fell onto her back and let out a peaceful sigh.

"Bella, do you want to change your clothes?" I asked her, wondering how uncomfortable she might be in what she was wearing. She didn't respond and I left it alone. Removing clothes from an unconscious person, who had just met me, was way past any line I was willing to cross. Leaning down, I removed her shoes, before pulling her up to the pillow and grabbing the other side of the comforter to pull across her. Her hair was still braided and I had no idea if I should take it out for her or not. It looked intricate, and like the clothes, I left it alone. Feeling her forehead once again and satisfied that her breathing was still normal, I shut off the light and left the room, grabbing an extra pillow before making my way back out into the living room. Taking off my own shoes, I sprawled out on the couch waiting for sleep which found me quickly.

It didn't stay with me. Every time Bella would shift her position on the bed, my eyes would snap open and I found myself creeping down the hallway to make sure she was okay. She was and I'd go back to the couch only to repeat the process with the next rustling sound of bedclothes.

Dawn came and went and I found myself absorbed in the most pleasant dream of colors and happiness. It was an euphoria and I never wanted to leave as I basked in contentment and lightheartedness. Fate had other ideas.

All of the air rushed out of my lungs as Quil bounced over the back of the couch, landing on my stomach.

"Shh," he said in a normal tone, covering his hand over my mouth, "you don't want to be too loud. Your Sleeping Beauty's not awake yet."

"I realize that, dickwad." I mumbled, pushing his hand away. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I came to see what today's activities are. Besides Sponge Bob starts in a few minutes." Grabbing the remote he flipped on the TV scrolling through channels in search of his underwater God. Shoving him off me onto the floor, he just laughed as I stood up in search of a clock. Realizing it wasn't even nine yet, I sat back down on the couch, flicking Quil in the back of the head.

"Ow, what was that for?" He was rubbing the back of his head, glaring at me, like I had absolutely no reason for hitting him.

"You do realize if I had any plans you would have heard me up and about. Like you said, Bella is still sleeping. Why the hell would I be up yet?"

"I don't know, I was bored. Besides what else is there to do?"

"Sleep, you idiot. Glorious sleep." I hadn't meant to be so loud. At that moment I would have given almost anything for this to have been a trip where I was by myself or at the very least one where Embry had come along instead.

"Now you've done it. She's waking up." Stopping on whatever channel he had been searching for, he waited for me to go deal with the aftermath of last night.

Huffing, I stood up again. "Your ass better stay out here." Giving me a mock salute, Quil waved me away as a disturbing sponge came dancing across the screen.

Approaching the bedroom, I waited a few moments wondering if maybe it would be better just to wait for her back in the living room. I heard her whimper slightly and any thoughts of waiting vanished. Stepping into the room, I found her sitting up on the side of the bed, eyes closed and one hand cradling her head.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, mentally kicking myself for such a loaded question.

"No, my head is killing me and..." Her eyes popped open to stare at me in questioning wonderment. "Where am I and what am I doing here?"

"Last night we made kind of a hasty exit from the club. You weren't feeling very well so I brought you back to my room to sleep it off."

"Oh." _Here it comes..._ "Wait! Sleep what off?" There were no manuals or after school specials that taught someone how to explain to their significant other that they had been drugged. If Bell had worded her question differently I might have been able to lie or even hedge about what had happened. But Fate had written into the oath of imprinting that thou shall not lie and out it came.

"Apparently the drugs in your..."

"You drugged me?" She looked angry and frightened, the temptation to hit me with something and run or just start screaming for help both battling within.

"No! I was trying to tell you last night at the club that bartender guy had been spiking drinks, not just yours. Some girl had a bad reaction to it and the cops were called. I was with you the whole night, nothing happened."

"Did I do anything? I mean do I need to apologize for anything I may have misled you on?" I was aghast at both the thought and words she had just asked.

"Of course not." I answered, wishing I could just tell her that she never needed to apologize for asking anything of me. Quil wasn't as circumspect in answering Bella, deciding he was going to help.

"You guys were going at it like rabbits on the dance floor. It was great!" He never learned and I was worried. Not about myself or Quil but about what Bella might think if I beat him until he was unconscious.

"Quil, shut up! You are so not helping." Designing and fitting him with a muzzle was going to be my next accomplishment in life.

"Oh god. Did I ask for something?" _Backup a minute, ask for what?_

"You didn't have to ask for anything, your body spoke for itself." That was all it took for Bella to start crying full force. Shame washed over her as cupped her hands to her face. She was leaning over and rocking back and forth the whole time. Quil, in just a few short sentences, had managed to make this out as a worst case scenario. Aggressively leaving Bella in the bedroom, I went to go deal with him. Progress would never be made if Quil was around. He was still flipping through the TV channels, only halfway paying attention to everything else. Stepping up behind him, I grabbed the remote and threw it into a nearby chair. There wasn't enough time for him to register the action before I picked him up by the shoulders in a death grip.

"Go. I don't care where but do not come back until Bella has left." I had never used an Alpha injunction before. It bordered on slavery and I wasn't comfortable enforcing commands on someone who had no choice in my decision. But Quil had brought this upon himself, pushing the boundaries so far that the wolf came on its own. Dropping him, I walked back to where Bella was, stopping just shy of the doorway. Once I heard the front door close I slowly made my way into the room with Bella, positioning myself as far away from her as possible while still being in the room.

"Bella, look nothing happened. Quil is over exaggerating." And I was going to kill him, not that Bella needed to hear about that right now.

"So, we didn't do anything?" Anything was a broad term, but only an idiot would miss its meaning and once again the truth appeared.

"We kissed and fondled a little bit but nothing extreme. Yes, you asked me to kiss you. But it wasn't demeaning to either of us."

"But it would have gone farther along if the cops hadn't shown up, right?" _Maybe? No, definitely not._

"Could have, would have, should have. It doesn't matter. It didn't happen. You are a very beautiful woman and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to sleep with you. But not like that. Do you really think I'd try to take advantage of someone like that?" Pleading for understanding always reeked of desperation and I was willing to take desperation to its limit. She lifted her head to give me some of her own honesty.

"Of course not! Not unless you've got an alias or changed drastically in the past couple of months."

She mumbled the last part and I was shocked and confused. It was such a sudden change in topic. What the hell was she talking about? Had we met previously or did we have mutual colleagues? She had inside information and it was discerning that Fate may have somehow kept me from knowing her first hand all that much sooner. She had the advantage here and expectations to share were non-negotiable.

Her cheeks started turning rosier by the second as I continued to stare at her waiting for the breaking point. Fate decided to deliver it in true sucker punch fashion.

"Do you remember last night when I asked about you and Quil being brothers?" She paused as though trying to replay the events at the restaurant. "I did ask you that, right? That your last name was Black?" Bowing her head she began to rub her temples, as if trying to jog her memory.

Silently I nodded waiting for the missing piece. It hadn't occurred to me last night as to why that small tidbit of information would mean so much to her. Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe she knew Quil from somewhere. But if Quil had ever seen her in the past, I would have seen or heard about it at some point previous to now. Of course I hadn't had a clue about Quil's street pharmacy degree.

Looking back up at me for my non-verbal conformation, she continued "After you called yesterday, I ran a background check on you." The people in the room below us would have been able to hear my jaw hit the floor. _ So much for norma__l relationships._

"Look, I know it sounds bad but it was just kind of weird. I mean you were at the airport and then the next day you showed up at my work. You didn't strike me as the creepy stalker type or anything." Her voice rose a little as she continued, "But my sister has called me seven times in less than 2 days. She keeps going on about having a bad feeling or something." _ Sister? Holy Shit she means the monster..._

"You told your sister about me?" Panic seized me and I wanted nothing more than to scoop up Bella and run back home to La Push, where a pack of werewolves could help me keep her safe from her territorial captors.

"No! I just figured after our date I could send her the report, explain what a great time we had and she'd leave me alone." Panic easing slightly, I tried deciphering her actions.

"So you were just going to pass on my life resume to your family?" I wasn't mad, how could I be? A single female entering the dating field should look out for herself. Coupled with the fact that while I wasn't a stalker, I had certainly engaged in less than legal activities to gain her attention. I had absolutely no right to be angry.

"Jacob, I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't think anything would come up on the report. I just wanted it to appease my sister. You have no idea what she's like when she gets one of these ideas in her head. If I could take it back, I would." She sounded completely repentant, like this was somehow all her fault.

"Bella, I'm not mad. Your apology is completely unnecessary. It might be a different story if I thought you were a status climber but you're not. I approached you. You were just covering your bases." If Bella was confused, I was doubly so. What emotion was I suppose to be supporting and comforting here?

I really wanted to hug her and ease away all of the tension in her body language. Food seemed to be a comfort for any situation and I clung to the idea of us participating in something comforting to get over the distressing feelings.

"Let's go get some breakfast. I promise, I'm not angry and we can just forget all about last night. Quil brought your car back here last night." Fishing in my pockets, I pulled out her keys as evidence. "I can drive, if you want or we can take both cars, it doesn't matter." Hopefully, I waited for this to resolve itself. Fate was tired of the restraint and decided to change games.

"Thank you, Jacob. For, you know, looking out for my best interests. I, uh, need to go now though." She stood up and walked over to me, reaching out to grab her keys that I had in my hand. Her hand barely grazed mine as she picked them up and continued towards the front door.

"Bella, wait. Can I call you please?" I could handle her leaving if I knew that this wasn't an end. _P__lease don't let this be an end._

"I'll call you, Jacob. I just need some time to figure this out." The door closed behind her and she was gone. Fate threw away its Kleenex and began scribbling out my next tragedy.


	7. Council of Fate

**The Council of Fate**

I would have liked to say that time passed me by without any knowledge, but it didn't. I watched every tortuous minute on the clock change. Fate had scampered off with Bella and replaying the events of the past few hours wouldn't change that. I knew what had happened and the what-if game was not for me. Fifty-three ticking time bombs of minutes had passed when my cell rang. I contemplated not answering it, but what was the point? Life still occurred outside of this and while every moment without her would be heart breaking, I couldn't curl up and pretend my attention wasn't needed elsewhere. Of course if I had realized Fate was playing switch-board operator I might have reconsidered.

"Hello." I answered, watching another bomb tick by. Despite the flat tone of my voice, Fate had to give me some credit. _At least I'm trying._

"Jacob? Are you okay, son?" The concern was legitimate but there was no reason for my father to be calling. We had already played our weekly chat of imprint inquisition.

"I'm fine. Is everything okay? Why are you calling me?" God damn cell phones. All parental contacts should come automatically equipped with that song from Nonpoint, Bullet with a Name.

"Can't a father call to talk to his son without needing a reason?"

"They can, but we usually don't. We already talked this week." Despite trying, insolence won.

"Yes, we have. However, someone failed to mention an imprint." Unless Fate had hand delivered an announcement, he had to be guessing.

"What imprint?" My voice caught as I tried passing it off as nonchalance. Even if my father didn't know me so well, he wouldn't have missed it.

"Come, now, Jacob. You've never lied to me before. Why the sudden game?" Life was nothing but one big game. The only difference was, mortally speaking, you wanted to hit the finish line last. Dad wasn't referring to the big picture though.

"No games. I was just busy."

"Too busy to call and inform me of your imprint?" His disappointment at the lack of a phone call was invisible; the only emotion present was happiness over my half-ass conformation that I had imprinted.

"It's kinda complicated right now. Who told you?" Sam wouldn't have told my dad, but Quil? If he was in any way responsible for this, I was going to nail his ass to a fucking tree and spend the rest of eternity inflicting massive paper cuts while a shower of lemon juice continuously poured over him.

"Nobody told me son, that's why we are having this conversation. But your flight arrived Thursday night. It is now Saturday morning and yet you have not returned home. While you may be content to stay in the city, Quil would not be as accommodating, not when his Claire is here by herself. Only your imprint would let him see to your needs above his own. What appears to be the complication?" Fate was fanning itself with the stationary clearly marked Operation Imprint Fuck Up.

"Dad, I really don't want to discuss this over the phone. There are others involved..."

"Is she married?" His excitement hardly dampening over the thought that my imprint might be married. Even tribal laws would dissolve a marriage for imprints.

"No, she's not married, although at the moment I might prefer that." Marriage versus monsters, it was a no brainer.

"What has you so riled up then? Is she too young to understand?" _Seriously! Did I always come off as a person who only thinks with his dick?_

"No, she's only a year younger than me."

"Then just tell her, Jacob. Once you explain everything she'll be more than happy to move home with you." _ Jeez, why didn't I think of that already?_

"Ugh, Dad! She's not Native American. I can't just whisper sweet werewolf nothings and whisk her back to La Push." It felt like Armageddon, the silence was unsettling.

"What?" He was whispering, all civility gone from his tone.

"You heard me. I imprinted on someone who is not Native American. This is going to take some time. Just don't tell anyone yet, please. As soon as I've figured this out, I'll come home. Actually I can come home today to bring Quil back and then return here to figure this out. Quil doesn't need to help me anymore." Feeling pissed off would have been a cake walk compared to the sudden surge of anger I was experiencing. The imprinting doubts, Quil's catalytic downfall concerning Bella's departure, the monster-in-laws, the club fiasco, all of it boiling and wanting to erupt. Fate was standing by, waiting to push the detonator.

"Are you sure? This is unprecedented. Maybe you just need to return home to reaffirm your connection with the pack. If it truly is an imprint, the longing will only grow." _Can anyone say no shit,_ _Sherlock?_ It was the equivalent of telling me two plus two was four.

"I realize that. But neither I nor my imprint would be safe so far apart." He still wasn't getting it. _Attention all personal, countdown has begun. _

"Jacob, distance has never killed a wolf. Come home and let us figure this out." If he was this upset over the whole lack of tribal blood thing the next part was going to send him over the edge. _Three..._

"There's more. See, ah, at the airport where it occurred, there were leeches involved." _Two..._

"Was she hurt? Are you okay? There haven't been any disturbances mentioned in the news. What happened?" _One..._

"She was saying goodbye to her family. But they can't really be her family. She called the leeches her siblings." Ground Zero was here and there was no escape.

"Jacob, I cannot keep this a secret. If you really have imprinted and vampires are involved, it puts the whole tribe at risk. You need to come home immediately to address your pack and the Council." I could care less about the Council, but he had me at the word pack. They deserved to be made aware of what was going on.

"Fine, but as to whether or not I'm staying is undetermined. If I leave or stay it will be because I want to, not because the Elders say otherwise. Call the Council, tell them anything you want. But I am Alpha of the pack and I at least deserve the right to share my news of imprinting, myself."

"We shall discuss it all tonight at the meeting, son. Until then."

"Bye."

Ending the call I went to pack up my belongings. Grudgingly I went into Quil's room and threw his stuff in the duffel bag he had brought. Werewolf immunity or not, I used two plastic garbage bags as gloves to shovel his clothes and crap in the bag. I was still grappling with the idea of just leaving him here to run home. Making my way down to the front desk, Quil appeared. Neither of us exchanged a word or expression as I handed him his bag and checked out. Each of us shoved our bags into the trunk before getting in the car and leaving. It wasn't until we had crossed the Puget Sound on the ferry and back on mainland before Quil broke the silence.

"Jake, I'm..."

"Quil, I don't care. I don't want to hear that you're sorry or you didn't mean it. It doesn't change anything. I just want to get home and relax a little before the Council meeting my father has imposed on us for tonight." He should have been paying attention to my volcano of anger, but Fate was too busy readjusting the ear mufflers.

"I was just trying to add a little levity to the situation." His obnoxiousness was the trigger. Swerving into the emergency lane, I hit the brakes causing Quil to brace against the dashboard from the momentum.

"You want levity? Get out!" Anyone else would have pegged me as rabid. Quil went with teasing, ignoring the fact that English was his first and quite possibly his only language.

"What?" _Layman's version should do it._

"Get out of my fucking car and jog your ass home. I don't want or need any of your fucking levity and I'd hate to have to tell Claire that your ass was dead because you couldn't keep your fucking mouth shut." Injunctions weren't necessary. The violent shaking attested to my state of mind and Quil didn't wait to see if he could push it any further. Sprinting out the door like a jack rabbit, he was gone in a flash, blending into the foliage. His form disappeared faster than the car door closing. Once I heard the click I shot off, back onto the road, racing towards the place I had always called home but suddenly didn't feel like it.

The gears of Fate were running full steam and a future discussion with the Elders seemed ominous. Through some wacky intervention of destiny, I had become a leader, first of a werewolf pack but eventually of a tribe of people who would depend on me and my decisions for their longevity. Some of my brothers would also join me in the next collection of Council of Elders, but could we really do this? If my imprinting problem was any indication, my people were screwed.

I felt wistful to be home, mile after mile of undeveloped land dotted occasionally with a town here or there. Unlocking my front door, I placed Quil's bag just inside the door for whenever he decided it safe to pick it up. Taking my own suitcase, I walked upstairs to the master bedroom setting it in the corner to take care of it later. Grabbing a pair of shorts, I stepped out of my clothes not even bothering to dress, and then headed towards the patio door at the back of the house. In a few short minutes I would be unleashing my beast to stretch and neighbors were not a problem. I had purposely chosen this location for my house not to be bothered by anyone who would be disturbed by large naked men morphing into giant wolves. I stopped briefly to stare out the back windows which overlooked the beach and ocean before walking outside and into the vast woods that followed the coastline. In wolf form I was alone to ponder my thoughts and ideas concerning Bella. I had waited so long for this moment to arrive, the imprinting factor. Every fiber that made up my existence craved for her but it wasn't something I could enforce upon an unwilling participant. She hadn't exactly said to stay away. She was confused but hopefully this was just a minor snag. Returning back to my house, I felt somewhat better. As long as she called, everything would be okay. I kept repeating that to myself as I got dressed and headed out to the lodge for the Council meeting.

The Council of Elders was a hereditary thing. Democracy was not used to determine who was next in line, although it could be depending on what was thought best for the continuation of our people.

The tribal meeting tonight was to announce the turn of events. If Fate and the Council had any ideas about me taking a pass on Bella and the life I hoped we could achieve together, they were mistaken. If she would have me, I would give it up. Never had I thought that I would live anywhere but here, yet if Bella called and wanted to continue a relationship, I was willing to walk away from here and never look back. The only problem was, that was a lot of ifs.

Sitting in one of those hard metal folding chairs, I impatiently tapped my leg waiting for the interrogation to begin. Most of the pack had filtered in taking random seats and chattering away about everyday nonsense. To my knowledge only three people in the room other than myself knew I had imprinted: Quil, Sam and my father, Billy, who was currently sitting in the front of the room with the other Elders. He took the floor, addressing everyone for the reason for the unexpected meeting.

"Our Alpha, my son Jacob, has returned with news we have all been anticipating for awhile now. He has imprinted on a young lady in the Seattle area." It was completely silent for all of about five seconds before the hooting and congratulations rained down around us. My father raised his hand attempting to get everyone to calm down before continuing.

"However, there is some speculation as to whether or not it might be a miscommunication of sorts." The hum of silence was just as deafening as the congratulations had been. Telling a room full of werewolves that the traditions were questionable, was monumental. Embry was the first one to speak on my behalf, jumping to his feet in bewilderment.

"How can you say that? We've all been waiting for this to occur. Do you think he's lying? Why would he make up something like this?" The tension was strong and my father tried to placate him.

"I didn't say he was lying. Jacob would you care to explain the doubts?" My father was looking at me expectantly and I was back to cursing Fate.

"Not really. I have no doubts about what I felt at that moment and what I feel now." I stood up to turn around and face my pack. "Three days ago, I imprinted on a lady I passed in the airport, returning home. She is not of any tribal blood."

"We're talking saltine cracker white." No one but myself noticed Quil's horror stricken face as he slapped his hand over his mouth. Not caring about the Elders, I watched the pack for signs of refusal or doubt. There wasn't any, all were well accustomed to Quil's flippancy. Jared was the next to speak, trying to address the Council.

"It does seem unlikely but all of this is somewhat unlikely." He motioned across the room at all of us, "Could things not have changed, do the legends say specifically that only our immediate ancestral blood be allowed into our lives?" I could have announced that I had imprinted on a tree and the pack would have stood behind me, never doubting that I might be mistaken. Realizing this, my father tried another approach.

"No, they don't. But it has never happened before. Do you not all remember the time after young Justin had phased?" There was collective laughter at the memory. Justin had just turned 16 when he phased for the first time. Two months into his change and the pack mind had been filled with nothing but concern and occurrence for imprinting. Justin had decided that he had, in fact, imprinted on Charisma Carpenter. He would spend hours attempting to duplicate harmonious bliss when his thoughts centered on her. He may have even convinced someone, if she had been in the area for any reason. But when Sam had phased one day and found Justin daydreaming about his questionable imprint getting it on with another female, the truth was known. Justin had been acting like any other hormone driven teenage boy. No wolf would ever have pleasant thoughts of their imprint with someone else. The imprint factor was too possessive for that.

"Oh, come on! Jacob's not some 16 year old with wet dreams. If he says that he's imprinted then I believe him." Paul's anger rushed through the room, startling the Council. My father returned to his seat and another Elder spoke up, searching for loop holes.

"Have you questioned her on her ancestors? Perhaps she does have tribal blood in her veins." Titus's voice was calming. He was the youngest member of the Council, and while completely loyal to his tribe, he was not as ingrained with the absolution of only one set way to incorporate an imprint.

"No, I haven't. I'd like to try to have her fall in love with me normally, not coerced by something neither of us has any say in." I was speaking from the heart. There had been much debate throughout the pack concerning the true nature of an imprint. Some had felt, that like in nature, it was survival of the fittest. That an imprint was the best choice because it guaranteed strong offspring. Flaws in that line of thinking became apparent when Kim, Jared's imprint, had three consecutive miscarriages. After multiple medical treatments, she successfully gave birth to a baby boy. The pack had reassessed their thinking. It couldn't just be physical connection for the best genetic makeup. Certainly, to raise a child properly both parents had to have similar feelings not just for each other but for ideals in life. Imprints fulfilled the physical as well as the emotional connection each of us needed in a mate.

"If, she is in fact your imprint, coercion will not be necessary. Her love would be instantaneous and undeniable. The fact that you stand here now, without her, seems that an imprint has not occurred." Harry Clearwater's words were harsh and meant to drive a stake of hesitancy and doubt through anyone who might be thinking otherwise. It only fueled my anger.

"You're wrong!" I was facing the Council, a restless pack behind me, anticipating an unnecessary need to protect their Alpha. "You base that assumption on the fact that everyone's imprints are aware of the legends and realize the truth behind the feelings. She could just as easily be hurting right now and not know why. But even if she isn't, that doesn't mean I haven't imprinted. We have already decided this has never happened before, what if the rules have changed with it?" We were known as Protectors, but I wasn't the least bit interested in protecting the Council. Fate stepped in as an intervention, allowing Titus to resume the questioning.

"You are correct, Alpha. If you have imprinted, the rules have changed. Legends are based on what has happened but nowhere does it state that we may not add to the legends, setting new boundaries for those to come. What have you learned? I'm assuming she's younger than you?" Nodding my head in the affirmative, Titus continued, "Is she still in school?"

"No, she works. She's a doctor." I felt an overwhelming amount of pride at that simple statement. My imprint was an accomplished woman. Clearwater mistook the pride as smugness, attempting to subvert the context.

"A doctor, at such a young age? Perhaps she lied to you." Either Fate sucked at intervention or Clearwater was working for a stronger entity.

"She didn't lie. Her heart is too pure for such treachery. Both Quil and myself witnessed firsthand that she is a doctor." Quil was nodding his assent as I geared up for the inevitable.

"Where does she work?" I shot a look towards Quil, waiting for his sarcastic overtures to spew forth, corrupting any headway I may have made with the Council. Realizing he was silently counting to himself, I answered.

"The Humane Society." True to Quil's earlier assumptions, Paul could barely stay in his chair, he was laughing so hard. A few of the others were smiling or trying to mask their chuckles as coughing. It really wasn't funny but it removed a lot of the tension that had been present.

"Does she plan on remaining in the city? What of her civic duties, when she becomes your mate? If, as you claim, she is your imprint, can she set aside her own values and accept ours?" Clearwater's questions brought the tension right back up.

"Why do you ask questions that I don't have any answer to? I told you, she doesn't know about us. The first words out of my mouth had nothing to do with werewolves, tribes or civic responsibilities. She is my imprint and if she will accept me, I will go wherever she wishes. If I have to relinquish Alpha, so be it. The only reason I stand before you now is to allow you the chance to accept what has, in fact, occurred."

"What of the pack?" Relentlessness was Clearwater's specialty.

"The pack stands behind my decision. Should I feel it best to leave them, they will understand and accept a new Alpha. I have always put my pack and people above myself. But if this one factor cannot be accepted, I will step down!"

"Alpha, please. Let us not be so hasty. Perhaps we are looking at this all wrong. You have said you made initial contact with your imprint; can you share her name with us? Perhaps her bloodlines are closer than we think." I was almost ready to thank Fate for pushing Titus back into the limelight, but I was unaware that this was just the opening show.

"Her name is Isabella Cullen, although she prefers to be addressed as Bella."

Quil Sr. had sat silently through the whole exchange, writing down notes of this meeting he would later transfer into a tribe journal for future wolves. At the word Cullen, his pen fell from his fingers, rolling off the table and clattering to the floor. His heart, along with several other Council members, picked up pace and every werewolf was staring at the Elders, trying to understand how a name could have such an effect.

"Did you say Cullen?" Stumbling over the name he began rambling in an ancient dialect. Few families still spoke our tribe's language; maybe only one fourth of the wolves present had ever fully been exposed to it. I knew it, along with Sam, Jared and Quil and the words caused my own heart to race. He was speaking of a past pack and an encounter with vampires. He turned to my father and angrily they began arguing over probabilities and certain destruction that would follow. Fate stood off to the side, erasing any lines of commodity that had been present. It only took a little over ten minutes before the Council made its choice. Quil Sr. took the floor and the ominous I had feared earlier made itself known.

"You have failed to speak to us of the real issue at hand. We have sat here and argued over the color of her skin and what bloodlines she may or may not possess. Had you mentioned in the beginning that she is directly tied to the vampires all of this would have been unnecessary. If she is your imprint and you care at all for her, you will bring her here immediately. Her contact to the world outside of our tribe must be broken or the death of everyone here will be eminent." Quil Sr.'s tone softened as he took in the looks of disbelief emitting from the pack. "You probably have imprinted, Alpha. And if her ties to the Cullen's are as expected, you have been chosen by a force, greater than us, to be her savior. Your imprint sits at the mouth of Hell and if you don't intervene soon nothing will be able to save all of us from burning in the aftermath." Closing his book of notes, he stood to leave, making one last announcement.

"Congratulations, Alpha. Please remember, sooner is better than later" Shuffling out the door, the other Elders followed leaving me with a pack of semi-angry brethren.

"This changes nothing. I will still step down if all of you feel it would be better. I won't put others in danger for my own happiness." I wasn't worried about the younger wolves, they would follow the majority. The older ones, however, were eying each other cautiously. Jared drew the short straw.

"We don't want you to step down, Jake. If it comes to a fight, we'll be right there with you. But why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"A lot has happened the past couple of days. Simply dictating tribal lore was not going to sweep her off her feet. I had to try something none of you ever had to go through." Everyone started talking at once, asking questions after questions. I waited as they emptied all of their thoughts and concerns before standing up.

"Let's go outside and phase. The memories should answer everyone's concerns." Walking out the door, I headed for a nearby clearing before stripping and phasing. Once everyone was accounted for, I let the memories ripple forward beginning with first seeing her at the airport. The pack was confused over the same situations Quil and I had come across. Even with the few answers we had obtained, the questions only grew. Quil's part at the club caused a few others to shrink back, alerting me to the knowledge that he wasn't the only one who might have a few skeletons in the closet that needed to be dealt with. With the final memory of her leaving, I didn't have to wait long before everyone started thinking at once. Muddling through the barrage of question dealing with the past, I broached the subject of the possible future.

"**Does anyone feel ****like I should step down?"** I felt I might as well ask again, it was a lot to demand of anyone. The feelings exuding from the pack were intense and in complete agreement. Embry took it upon himself to act as the spokeswolf.

"**No, we're with you, whateve****r you decide. Will you be bringing her back here? It would be easier to deal with all of this if we were on our own turf." ** The guys spent several minutes, thinking of possible plans to help achieve the ultimate goal. None of it was highly probable and I stepped in again to explain.

"**I realize that, but you saw the complications. If I can convince her, then yes, we will return here. But it's not going to happen quickly."** _Especially with Fate involved, the dirty fuckers._

"**How much time do you think w****e have?"** Brady asked, ignoring the violent image of Fate strangled by every obscenity I had ever uttered or even heard of.

"**No idea. As long as the bloodsuckers stay away while I'm in the city with her, then we should be okay. Once I've moved her here then we can begin severing any ties she may have."**

"**Jacob, do you not see the flaw in that plan? If you wait until she has already made a commitment with you, and then tell her about this, you have essentially taken away all of her free will."** Sam bombarded us all with a sense of hopelessness, the pack trying to struggle through the emotional downfall of what had seemed like the best idea.

"**I don't want to take away her freedom, but I would like her to live long enough to keep her free will. Once we are established in dating, then I'll bring her here for a weekend trip and explain the situation."**

"**I guess that's all we can hope for at this point. Be careful." ** No one was envious of the miracle I was expected to perform.

"**Thanks. I guess that's ****it for now. Anyone is welcome to call me if anything comes up or you have a change of heart. See ya later, guys."** Phasing back, I dressed and made my way back to my house. Fate could fuck with my life all they wanted; I just wished they'd find it more entertaining to do so with Bella at my side. The old adage, 'Be careful what you wish for', never crossed my mind. Fate took it as an outline and ran.


	8. Fate's Foundation

**Fate's Foundation**

It had been 5 days, fourteen hours and thirty three minutes since Bella had walked out the front door of my suite in Seattle. Not that I was keeping track. For the first two days, I had jumped up like a kid at Christmas every time my cell rang. Fate sat back and laughed at my hopefulness, knowing I was expecting too much, too fast. I had programmed her number with a specific song and even though the phone rang with the standard chirp, it didn't stop me from thinking that maybe she was calling from a number that wasn't her own. Most of the calls were from the pack with random ideas and suggestions of how to get Bella to return home with me. Quil hadn't made a single one of the thirty or so calls I had received, but every idea presented felt like it had passed through him; from setting fire to her apartment so she could come live with me to telling her I was dying and that as a last request I would be honored if she would marry me. Yesterday's idea of giving her amnesia and forging a past life of us as a couple set me off. Calling an impromptu meeting, I laid down the law. Inflicting bodily harm to my imprint, or lying about my physical or mental state to lure her here were out of the question. Quil thought I was daft.

"Jacob, you don't have to whack her on the head to cause amnesia. Get her a prescription for Halcion. Thirty days on that shit and she'll believe leprechauns live at the base of every rainbow."

"You want me to drug her?" Quil thought I was asking for clarification. I was wondering if he maybe hadn't been out in the forest licking mushrooms.

"Not for life. Just confuse her a little. Besides you'll be able to slip the werewolf thing in there and all of our problems will be solved." Every wolf froze as the next words I spoke demanded their compliance.

"No one, is to knowingly consume, or give to someone else, any and all products that could alter one's thoughts, inhibitions, moods or physical responses." Everyone but Quil relaxed instantly and the meeting was quickly over. My only wish was that we had called it sooner. Nobody had phoned me since then with ludicrous abduction ideas.

While sitting in my favorite recliner, trying to overcome a faulty exhaust system for a project with Boeing, I kept reminding myself that Bella would call, she had promised. I found myself magnetized to the phone when her melody unexpectedly poured out of the speaker. The third note hadn't even started before I answered.

"Hello! Bella?"

"Hi, Jacob. I didn't wake you, did I?" The sound of her voice released a tension I hadn't even been fully aware of. Looking over at the clock, I noticed it was a little after eleven in the evening. Failing to hide the concern that something might be wrong, I answered.

"No, I was just working on a project for some investors."

"I can call back if this is a bad time?" Her nervousness struck a chord. Of course it could also be Fate strumming its violin in the background.

"No, it's fine, really. I'm so glad you called, what's up?"

"First, I just wanted to apologize and thank you again for that night at the club."

"Don't be silly. If anyone should apologize it should be me. I'm really sorry I didn't take you to the hospital like I should have." I felt really guilty not having made a better choice. Sure she hadn't suffered any physical effects but to wake up in a hotel room and then be told you had been drugged? That action alone was 100% neglect on my part, and what I felt had been the driving force in Bella leaving.

"Are you kidding? No, I'm glad you didn't. My father has A.P.B.'s posted at every doctor and medical facility in the tri-state area. Before I could have even been registered as a patient, he'd be on the phone dictating procedures. My family would have shown up before I was even awake."

"Oh, okay." How does one even respond to that? _Yeah, I'm really glad the blood sucking monsters didn't show up, too._

"I guess part of the reason I called was to see if maybe you wanted to try going out again, you know maybe someplace less hazardous?" If my hopes and happiness had been tangible, it would have knocked the roof right off of my head. _She wants to see me!_

"Anywhere," I cried out excitedly. If she suggested to go swimming with great white sharks, I would be willing as long as I could be with her.

"Well, I was thinking and feel free to say no," not_ a chance this side of hell._ "but, uh, maybe we could go miniature golfing. I know it sounds kind of juvenile, and I have to warn you I'm not the best, but I figured it would give us a chance to talk some more and get to know each other." At this point, she could have said we were going to stare at a brick wall and I would have happily agreed.

"Do you want to go tomorrow? I can be there whatever time you want." Blindly, I ignored Fate as it held up a calendar to my life, sadly shaking its head.

"Actually the next day I have off is Wednesday. Are you free?" Fate held it's lighter to the calendar.

"I'll be there." I had been living one day at a time. I had no idea what was on my schedule for Wednesday but it wouldn't matter. Any meeting or phone conference I might have scheduled, would be canceled, consequences be damned.

"Do you need directions?" _No_. But I had to play the part and she hadn't specified directions to where, she could just as easily be talking about the golf course, I could work with this.

"Yeah, that might help. Do you want to meet somewhere or can I pick you up? I promise to leave any and all of my estranged family far away." She hadn't mentioned Quil or his mouth, but I wanted to assure her, his ass would be far, far away. She must have picked up on the undertone, she was giggling kind of nervously.

"That's fine; let me give you directions to my apartment." I simulated searching for imaginary writing tools, while I listened to her soft breathing.

"Okay." Pretending to write down the unnecessary address, I asked her to repeat it just to listen to her voice longer. The conversation was coming to a close but Bella still seemed to have sort of a nervous hesitancy about her. It was late in the evening though. Thinking she might just be kind of tired, I went to end it.

"So, I'll see you at noon on Wednesday right?" Giggling, she answered in the affirmative before coming out of left field with Fate, hot on her heels.

"Hey, um, Jacob, do you know what happened to my car?" _Her car? The Camry? The car Quil had driven!_

"Uh, no? Why?" Technically, I didn't have a clue what happened to her car. I honestly didn't think I needed to until this moment.

"Well, no specific reason. It's just that when I took it home Saturday, the paint was all cracked and chipped on the right front bumper. It's really weird, actually. It kind of looks like someone smashed into something, for as big an area that's damaged, but nothing is dented." _Kind of like a werewolf drove it into a mailbox or something and the Kevlar undercoat protected any body damage._

"Bella, as far as I know, your car was okay. But I'll ask Quil. If he harmed it, I'll make sure he pays for it." _In the form of being dragged behind my car on my way back to Seattle._

"No, Jacob! I didn't mean it as an accusation! It could have happened at any time Friday night. I just left kind of abruptly and was worried maybe you didn't have a chance to tell me. It's not a problem."

"Just the same, I'll ask him anyway. Even if he didn't have anything to do with it, let me know how much the repairs cost. I'll pay for it."

"Please don't worry about it. It's fine. I'll see you Wednesday?"

"You bet. Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight, Jacob."

Heading over to Sam's house the next day, I had to inform him of the small opportunity that had presented itself. I would be leaving again and he would have to take command until I could return to relieve him. I thought I was feeling pretty good about it but Fate lifted the carpet to show me the dirt I had unthinkingly hidden.

"Jacob, are you planning to take someone with you as backup?" Sam asked, while eating a brownie Emily had made. Setting down my own, I sighed.

"I've thought about it. I just don't see how this is going to work. I really don't want my alone time with her tainted with the presence of backup. Plus it's not really fair to disrupt someone else's life due to a breach in imprint protocol."

"Jake, none of us feel troubled to help you. We want more than anything for our Alpha to return and stay, happy and safe with his imprint."

"Yeah, I know. I think I'll ask Collin to go. He does most of his work from a laptop so it shouldn't be too much of a strain for him. At least he won't have to use up vacation or sick time." Sam looked surprised as I stood up to leave.

"I thought you would take Quil or Embry with you. One of those two usually accompanies you everywhere."

"Embry doesn't need the drama and Quil's lucky I haven't banned his ass entirely from the reservation. I'll see you later, Sam."

"Good luck," he yelled as I left to stroll back to my place.

Fate feed any luck I might have had to a paper shredder. The only wolf that could go with me was none other than Quil. I could have been an ass and demanded someone else to change their plans, but that wasn't me. I spent the next three days instructing Quil on his purpose. He was not to be seen or heard from, by Bella. The only variant to that was if, and only if, a leech was within a half mile radius of us. I made sure he would bring his own car. If he wanted to play Crash Test Derby with a car, it was to be his and not mine or Bella's.

Tuesday evening, I was a wreck. Bella had only mentioned the one date but that didn't mean she wouldn't want to go out again the next day. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, I packed a bag for a week. Even if plans weren't made to go out again so quickly, I had every intention of staying at a hotel in the area for awhile. In a few minutes I would be leaving to stay in the city tonight. If I waited until tomorrow to leave, Fate would just disable my car or cause a power outage; anything to ensure a rescheduling. I was having none of that. On the drive there, I spent most of my time yelling at Quil on the phone to remember his place.

"I get it, J! She can't see me, sniff me, lick me, whatever. No contact whatsoever, I think I can handle it." _Holy Christ! Did he really just say that?_

"Do you really?" I was screaming so loud even my own ears rang, "Because, sure as shit, last time you couldn't! I'm not fucking kidding. One toe out of line and I'll castrate you myself, slowly and surely with a butter knife and bottle of hydrochloric acid."

"Relax, I got it. Damn, you better clean up your language. I don't think Bella would appreciate it. All I have to do is follow you guys around like a private dick and make sure there aren't any bloodsuckers. How hard can it be?" He was laughing at the end of his rant and my voice dropped low and menacing.

"You're half right, Quil. You are a dick. And for anyone else this would be easy, but you somehow manage to turn it into a twisted freak show every time."

"Whatever, Dad. Can I go now? My song's on." Hearing the tune of Y.M.C.A, I let lose another string of profanities before throwing the phone down into the passenger seat. Looking up at the rear view mirror, I watched as Quil attempted a dance that should have been forgotten long ago, and never performed in a moving vehicle. Giving up, I focused back on the road, knowing Fate probably had a fallen tree or dead animal carcass awaiting my crash pleasure.

Making good time back to the city, I choose a place a little less classy than last time but a hell of a lot closer to where Bella actually lived. Not wanting Fate to have the upper hand, I asked for two different wake-up calls from the front desk and had brought two battery powered alarm clocks as back up. Quil had his own room on the opposite side of the building from me and sleep came easy, knowing Bella was only a few short miles away.

I felt like I was on my way to the first day of school. Excitement, nervousness, happiness, weariness all wrapped up and topped off with butterflies. Pulling up to her place five minutes before the agreed upon time, I was surprised to see her waiting outside for me. Grabbing the handle, she jumped in looking absolutely adorable and smiling from ear to ear.

"Where to?" I asked, pulling back into traffic. Even knowing Quil was in a car somewhere behind me couldn't dampen my spirits now that Bella was once again beside me. But Fate could.

"Fun Forest Amusements." She answered, still grinning and staring at me. My own smile slipped as I realized where we were going. The place had a golf course, sure, but it also had roller coasters. I had watched all four of the Final Destination movies to know that Fate was indeed setting this up. _ Those massacring fucknuts. _Watching my amusement disappear, Bella became timid.

"We don't have to go there, if you don't want to."

"What? No! I'm sorry. I really want to go play golf I was just thinking about the rides. They can be kind of scary." Coming off as a pansy was not my intention but I could already see Fate in its hard hats, loosening nuts and bolts while bribing away the safety inspectors.

"It's okay. I'm not really a ride person myself. I just thought we could play a game of mini putt-putt." Her smile was starting to return and I felt the need to push it.

"And that's exactly what we're going to do!" Both of us smiling again, I drove to the park, praying this was not a death sentence. Arriving at the park, I paid for us to play a game while Bella choose a club and golf ball for herself. Anyone in the park would be able to see it, the bright fluorescent orange golf ball she picked out. Choosing a normal white one for myself we headed out to the first course.

She hadn't been kidding; she was really horrible at the game. But it didn't matter. With every miss she'd simply laugh. I don't know how long it took for Quil to show up, but I could hear his maniacal laughter from the rides at around the fourth hole. The park didn't really allow for a protective radius from Quil but as long as he kept himself amused, away from us, I could handle it. Two holes later and Quil had moved on to the Ferris wheel. No one but me could hear him, as he insisted on dropping hints that had nothing to do with golf and laughing every time Bella missed a shot. Flicking him off for the seventh time I really hoped there weren't any security cameras watching us. Tired of his verbal commentary, I decided a little bit of teasing was in order.

"How about we take the number of hits it actually takes you to make the hole and divide it by the number of hits the card has suggested as average?" Nudging her lightly in the shoulder, I grinned to show I was just teasing.

"Okay, Mr. Perfect. But then we get to multiply the number of hits suggested times what it actually takes you to make it, since you're so far below par." Laughing at her returning banter I readily accepted the challenge.

"Fine, but I get to give you some pointers." I could care less about her golfing skills, but this gave me an opening to touch her innocently and help smother the imprinting factor's constant need to be in contact.

"You show her, Mr. Perfect." Quil laughingly mocked while I shot him the bird again. I watched as she lined up for the next hit. Her feet were all wrong and as I zeroed in on her hips to resituate her, I blocked out everything else.

***Whack***. For someone who took twenty-five shots to get the ball in the hole, with eyes wide open, she had impeccable aim when not paying the least bit of attention to behind her. The head of her club connected directly beneath my sternum and the onset of pain was like nothing I had felt before. Fate stood behind a statue, waving their own clubs in victory at a hole in one. Quil was groaning over Bella's suddenly ability to score.

She had felt the resistance and Bella dropped her club in horror over what she had just done. Clutching my chest like an eighty year old cardiac arrest victim, I held my nonexistent breath. My hope was the cessation of my lungs would allow my heart to slow enough so that when I resumed inhalations they would fall into a peaceful harmony and cease the look of a fish on crack that I currently wore. After several attempts I was still unable to speak. Bella looked like she was about to perform CPR.

"Oh my god! Jacob, are you okay?" I was trying to tell her I would be fine but speech was impossible as my heart and lungs tried to find their synchronized rhythm. Waving my hand that wasn't clutching my chest, I gasped for the air needed to perform speech.

"I'm fine." The wheezing was leaving and I could feel my heart and lungs settle back from the jolt.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you. I wasn't expecting you behind me, I didn't even hear you. Are you sure you're okay? Let me at least look for any signs of swelling to make sure I didn't puncture your peritoneal." She had her hands on my shirt with it lifted halfway up before I stopped her. My fantasies started up and I had a more difficult time trying to control those than I did with the breathing thing. Damn Quil and his thoughts on doctors. I wanted nothing more than for her hands to be on my abdomen, my chest, everywhere to explore me. But I wasn't Quil and getting it on at a family fun spot was probably illegal and definitely uncouth.

"It's fine." I replied, finally being able to breathe like a normal person. "You just took me surprise, that's all." Dropping my hand from my aching chest, I smiled. "Did you, uh, want to finish the game?" Dropping my shirt, she cautiously eyed my chest before taking a few steps back.

"No, I think I've caused enough damage for one afternoon. Are you sure you don't want to sit down and rest? You could be seriously hurt and not even realize it."

"Bella, I promise, I'm okay. No blood, no foul. It's still kind of early, did you want to do something else?"

"Like what?" _Anything that doesn't involve weapons._

"I don't know. Do you want to drive over to Pike Place and walk along the waterfront?" I was hoping that she would accept the invitation. The place was always crowded and my goal was to keep her comfortable with me yet still be in a public location so she wouldn't feel pressured. Agreeing to the change of plans, we returned the clubs and left Fate's forest of malaise.

Parking in one of the car terminals outside of the marketplace, we spent the afternoon basically just talking, laughing and walking around. Bella wasn't materialistic in the least and few things caught her attention enough for a more thorough examination. We sat down at an outside eatery for a late lunch, when Bella's cell started to ring. If Fate's choice in music didn't alert me to who was calling, the voice would have. The lyrics to an odd Smashing Pumpkins song began as Bella shot me an apologetic look before answering her phone.

"Hello." Envying Bella's relaxed state, my whole body tensed as the glitter of doom began speaking.

"Bella, are you okay? Oh my gosh, I thought I was going to have a heart attack." _If only it was that easy for them to die._

"Alice, calm down. What's wrong?" The etching concern on Bella's face made me want to hurl her phone into the water. Whatever problem the bloodsuckers were having, they didn't need Bella's help.

"Where are you? I called your work but they said you had the day off. What are you doing?"

"Gosh, Alice. I'm fine. You know occasionally I do get a day off. I'm out at the waterfront enjoying the day. Is that okay?" Only someone as gentle as Bella could say something like that and not sound snarky.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I was just having one of my feelings and it was really bad. I just needed to make sure you were okay." I couldn't help but snicker slightly over the leech's concern. They preyed upon people like Bella for their sustenance and her she was, calling, to make sure she was okay. Irony didn't even begin to cover it. The leech, however, heard me.

"Who are you with? You wouldn't go out there alone. Are you on a date?" I could hear the phone fumble at the word date and suddenly there was a new voice on the line.

"Bella, are you dating? You didn't tell us. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Hi, Edward. Yes, I'm fine. I'm kind of in the middle of something. Tell Alice I'll call her back tonight." She didn't know I could hear everything but I recognized the diversion tactic.

"You better call us back, Bella. If you don't, we're going to fly back tonight." The menace came through loud and clear but Bella was impervious to it.

"I love you guys too. I'll call later. Bye." Shoving the phone back in her purse, Bella once again apologized before returning to her food. I sat back in my chair to contemplate the call. They somehow knew something was amiss, just not what. But how? Fate was too busy on the sidelines with Quil, for the moment. He was arguing with a vendor for a fair price on a piece of jewelry for Claire. Only Quil would try to talk reasoning to a salesperson while wearing a captain's hat made of balloons. _Way to stay incognito, Quil!_

Leaving the eatery, we continued our exploration. Somehow our hands became linked together as we strolled around. The fish market itself didn't hold much appeal to her but the waterfront did. For almost an hour we stood and watched some otters playing in the surf. It seemed so normal and natural, holding my imprint's hand as we watched the furry creatures dive underneath only to return with clams or to leap and twirl around each other in some unknown form of tag. The sun was low on the horizon when Bella happened to glance at her watch, freezing instantly.

"It's almost seven, I really need to get back home." Her apprehension was thick enough to set off an alarm of trepidation.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" I asked, looking around for Fate. But, no. Fate was still busy with Quil, while he explained to the security guard that riding Rachel, the Pike Place pig mascot was not a sexual endeavor when an adult attempted it.

"Yeah I just didn't realize how late it was. I have to work tomorrow." Her words were innocent and bogus, the lie evident on her face. Not wanting to call her out on it, I let it pass as we headed back for the car and on to her house. Stopping in front of her apartment, I threw the car in park, fully intending to walk her to the door.

"Bella, can I..."

"Jacob, I had..."

"You first." My voice was laid-back, but my nerves were taut.

"I had a really good time, you know, minus the bad shot. I was wondering if you had any plans this weekend?" My heart soared that she wanted to spend some more time together. Ignoring the flaming pitch forks Fate was waving around, I practically sighed my response.

"I am completely free. What did you have in mind?" _Happy, happy, joy, joy._

"Can I surprise you? I promise other than walking, no real physical activity will be required." _Surprise? Was that body armor Fate was throwing on?_

"That's fine. But what should I wear?" _Do I sound like a girl? _"I mean is it formal or anything?"

"Casual. Shorts and a t-shirt will be fine." She was so relaxed and calm, not a hint as to what we might be doing. I was in such a daze over getting another date so soon, all I could do was nod my head.

"Great. Let's say ten thirty, Saturday morning." My marionette act, as I nodded once again, was sufficient for Bella.

"Bye, Jacob. I had a really nice time." And she was out the door and into the building before I could even move or refocus. Coming back to, I realized I had to do one last thing before I could remember this day as perfect.

Pulling away from her building, I parked my car out of direct sight of the building. Cautiously I made my way towards the entrance of her building. Hovering in the shadows across the street, I waited to see if she would leave. I thought Quil went back to the motel since I was just taking Bella home. But he had followed me here and watching me leave my car, decided to join.

"Holy shit, man! You could have received less damage if you had just taken her to play hockey, at least then you would have had on safety gear. You're lucky she didn't hit you in the balls. That was downright psycho of her." The adoration wrapped around the word psycho left me shaking.

"She didn't do it on purpose; she didn't even know I had come up behind her. I should have called out to her rather than just sneak up and surprise her." Failing to receive whatever reaction he had hoped for, Quil switched subjects.

"What do you think she has planned?"

"Planned about what?" I could care less what she had planned for Saturday, we were going to be doing it together and that was all that mattered.

"Dude, she seemed almost panicked that it was getting late. Do you think she's meeting up with someone else? Or maybe she's calling in her family for backup."

"Backup for what?" His returning adoration was a bad sign. Quil had not heard Bella's earlier phone call, what had I missed?

"Duh! To get rid of you, of course. Obviously you guys aren't moving in together or you wouldn't be out here, while she's inside, alone. Maybe she thinks you're just boring. I could see that. Shit, you spent all day with her and all you managed to do was hold her hand. That's pretty fucking boring. That's why we're standing out here, isn't it? To see who she was all hyper about missing."

"Quil, it's only been two dates! She does have a life, I'm sure she had some type of previous obligation she couldn't just ignore."

"Wrap it up in all the pretty words you want to, Jake. But here we are, standing outside of her apartment while you wait for Mr. Obligation to make an appearance." Despite the semi-truth to his words, I felt dirty. I really didn't think Bella was playing the field, but her excuse of needing to get home for work tomorrow seemed pretty flimsy. I had no intention of sharing that with Quil.

"Go away, Quil, before I locate Leo and his band of merry stringers. I still owe you for all the past shit and hand delivering you to them just might erase the debt."

"Whatever. You're one whiny, cranky bitch when you're not around her, did you know that? I'm gonna go back to the hotel and sleep. You can tell me all about it tomorrow." Casting one last look around us, he slipped back to his car and took off.

I could occasionally hear her voice but the words were garbled and undecipherable. By midnight I gave up, deciding she had already gone to bed and wasn't planning on leaving nor having any visitors tonight, mortal or mythical.

Sleep wasn't as easy tonight. I found myself constantly twisting and turning. Quil may have thought our date was boring, but Bella had been happy the entire day. Only the slip of time had seemed to upset her and there was no reason for it. Fate was the boogeyman in my dreams. The constant mocking laughter as pendulums ticked while Bella stood before me pleading about time tables, acceptance and understanding. The uncertainty of understanding enveloped me like a fog and I could no longer see anything but the thick mist of doom. The ticking of clocks became louder and demanding beckoning me from the mist. Someone was calling my name, yelling in tune to the thunderous ticks and panic took full flight. Sitting straight up from sleep I realized that the pounding was real. Fate had come knocking at my motel door.


	9. The Absence of Fate?

**Absence of Fate?**

Waking from a nightmare is supposed to be reassuring and calming. Those rules do not apply when you wake up, reality sets in, and the pounding is real. Stumbling to the door, half awake, I caught myself tripping over the comforter on the floor. Cursing at myself and expecting the worst, I made it to the door and flung it open.

"Hot food, coming through." Quil announced, pushing past me and sitting down at the meager table offered in the room. Standing with the door still wide open, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, I gaped at Quil wondering if I was still dreaming. He had three sacks full of food and was dumping out the contents onto the table. Emptying the last bag of food, he looked up at me, taking in my appearance.

"Fuck, dude! I thought you were in the bathroom or something, not still sleeping. What the hell are you doing just standing there? Come on, let's eat." Closing the door, I made my way over to the table, crashing down into the chair.

"What are you doing here, so early?" I mumbled, still trying to decide if this was part of the dream or not.

"It's ten o'clock," Quil mumbled right back, expressing that it was not early. His cheeks were bulging with food, oddly reminding me of the hamsters we had to raise for a fourth grade science project. Thankfully he swallowed before continuing, "Since you're here, I take it Bella didn't have any midnight Casanova calls? Why are you still asleep? I figured you'd be out marking your territory or some shit."

Grabbing one of the sandwiches Quil had oh so gratefully brought in, I tried to recompose myself. The dream was disappearing quickly and I struggled to understand the feelings it had left behind. Giving up, I realized whatever I had been experiencing during sleep was nothing more than a byproduct of over excited neurons.

"I don't know, I had a rough night. Bella's at work and asked if we could go out again on Saturday." _Saturday with Bella_, the words alone held an eroticism for my desire to be with her.

"She's as sorry as you are. She actually wants to see you again? Where are you taking her?" His blasé was evident, even with a mouth full of egg, cheese and bread.

"She said it was a surprise. I guess I'll find out then." As with my previous thoughts on dates with Bella, it really didn't matter to me. As long as she wanted my company, I would happily go wherever her little heart desired. Quil didn't share my same views.

"Have I taught you nothing? You better hope you guys aren't going to that club again. Dude, those type of people are scary. I never thought I'd hear myself say I was actually relieved to leave such a hot spot. Did you hear what that freaky chick wanted to do? I'm always up for a little BDSM but if I wasn't an imprinted wolf that shit could kill me. Hey, you don't think your girl is like that, do you?" His emotions went from disgust to excitement, blowing past so quickly I felt like I was standing underneath a Stealth Bomber.

"I doubt it, Quil. She practically passed out when you started grilling her about the functions of peanut butter. Besides, we're going out early Saturday and Bella said to dress casual." I was smiling and Quil was back to the department of disgust.

"Casual! Oh man, just what the hell do you think you guys are going to be doing?"

"Doesn't matter. I agreed and whatever it is will be fine by me." My own voice began to harden.

"You say that now, but wait until your knee deep in shit at some animal rescue crap. She'll probably have you giving an enema to a pig or something equally as fucked up." _Thanks for ruining the moment, Quil. Payback is a bitch!_

"And you know what? If that's what she has in mind, so be it. But you can bet your ass if that's what it comes down to, Bella will let me call you and I'll pretend to have you come out to help." Quil finally comprehended that at this moment I was more than willing to sacrifice his wishes for whatever my imprint wanted.

"Jeez, Nero-complex much? And what are our plans until the Saturday shittiness?" Sulky Quil was just as gross as an innuendo one.

"I plan on finding an apartment to rent nearby, so I can be closer to Bella. I think the whole dating thing will work better if I actually have a permanent address in the area." I had spent a lot of time thinking about this. Still attempting the normal-dating scene, I concluded that normal people should live somewhat close to each other while dating.

"Excellent! Let's start over in the Capital Hill area. Those are some bitchin' pads; you'll have your cupcake in the sack in no time. Oh, make sure to request a place with a Jacuzzi, chicks love that shit." Our different ideas on dating left much to be desired.

"Quil, please for one minute shut up and listen. My imprint has a name. It's Bella, not cupcake. I do not need, want, desire, wish for or anything else to hear about the best way to get her in the sack as you so eloquently put it. Whatever constitutes as our dates, and that would be mine and Bella's, not this secretive tag-along crap I have mistakenly agreed to, does not require your input. If you really have something important to say or that I should know then keep it to yourself. I'm willing to bet I don't need to know and all it does is make me wish for your early death. I am going to take a shower. This afternoon, if you want to, you can join me while I look for an apartment." Standing up, I waited for Quil to backlash. He was just sitting there, staring past me at nothing. Finally he shook his head, nodded then finished breakfast. Had I known that he would have complied so blissfully without the use of expletives I would have done so in the past. Truthfully I was just too tired to work myself into a rage over his personality.

Quil didn't say anything on the drive over to the real estate office. It wasn't a tense silence between us but it still felt unnatural without his never ending black hole of comments and tirades. Occasionally I'd see him open his mouth like he was going to say something. But it always ended the same; he'd purse his lips, shake his head and stay in silence. Pulling into the brokers place, I grabbed Quil before he could leave the vehicle.

"Look, man. I'm sorry. I didn't mean you had to stay silent forever but you gotta cut out some of the shit. This is my imprint we're talking about and your carefree attitude about everything makes me want to forget we've been friends for a long time. As long as you can tone it down when talking specifically about Bella, I promise I'll stop hazing you about every little thing you say." The Quil I knew came bounding right back.

"I'm holding you to that, bro. Now come on let's go find a dumpster for you to woo from."

The broker was eying us like the next up and incoming drug cartel. There was no sense in trying to explain otherwise. We were too well dressed and distinguished looking, hoping to find a place in a rundown area, for him to think otherwise. Bella's neighborhood had quite a few vacancies and I could only imagine what shit hole her apartment might be compared to the others we were exploring. The first three apartments were completely unhealthy. If I had chosen one of them, Bella would have to wear a haz-mat suit just to visit. The fourth one wasn't quite the refugee camp that the others had been but there were still problems.

"J, I don't think I'd let a pet roach live in a dump like this. Of course, if I had one he could always join the civilization that already resides here." Quil was pointing out the long sets of antennae that were protruding from behind the baseboards. The broker was several steps in front of us and as he flipped on lights, the feelers began moving like a swarm, receding out of sight.

"Shut up, Quil. So far this has been the best one. A little insecticide, a good cleaning and this place could have potential." We had moved into the kitchen and I was busy looking inside a pantry when Quil suddenly jumped up on the counter screeching outrageously.

"Holy fucking shit, what in the hell is that thing? Is that a opossum?" Quil was bunched up on the balls of his feet, one arm wrapped around his knees the other pointing to a huge rodent, well it could be a marsupial. It was scuttling beneath the overhang of a kitchen cabinet before disappearing into a space in the wall that looked like the sheet rock had been kicked out. The broker hurriedly returned to the kitchen and taking in our appearances, tried to turn it into a selling point.

"Some of the older buildings here may have a rodent problem. I can ask the owner if they will agree to include a pest termination service."

"Yeah, one that includes grenade launchers and flame throwers," Quil climbed back down off the counter, giving me the most pleading look I had ever seen. "Seriously, dude, if you're going to take this one we need to go target practicing. A little renegade rodent roundup needs to occur before you even consider staying here for the night." Quil was lethal enough without the aid of artillery.

"Maybe we could look at the next one?" I asked the broker. The mention of casual warfare had lead this poor man's thoughts back to the fact that he thought we were some type of illegal importers.

The next apartment was by far the best. It was farther away from Bella's than I had hoped for, but at least I could bring her back here without looking like a complete loser. The walls were dingy and cracked in certain places, but easily repairable. The entire place had a 70's style linoleum but with a few throw rugs and some furniture most of it would be out of sight from immediate attention. Before actually agreeing to signing a contract, I made sure the water that ran from the faucets was not only hot but clear in color. Apartment number two had a water supply that looked like it fed directly from the toilet.

"How long would you like to lease for, Mr. Black? Most contracts in this area are for a six month time span but accommodations can be made to fit your needs." He was back to eyeing us like the drug lords we weren't but in the long run it helped as I used it to play the part.

"I would be extremely happy if I could lease it for three months with an option for longer if need be. How soon until I can take possession?" I don't know how well I was acting. I was going for a laid back attitude but the broker took it as cold and calculating.

"Well, uh, I can go back to the office to drawl up the contract and have it ready for signing by tomorrow morning. Would that be sufficient?" His heart rate was sky rocketing and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Wonderful. Here's my card. Please call as soon as possible if any complications arise." Smiling, I handed him a business card with my cell number on it. Blindly shoving it in his pocket, he waited until Quil and I left before having a full blown anxiety attack. Quil's booming laughter could be heard throughout the whole complex as we made our way back to the car. It sounded like the broker was using an inhaler as he talked on his phone, demanding his secretary to make sure my contract would be completed by tomorrow morning.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, where to?" Quil was back fully to his ADD behavior, bouncing in his seat waiting for some sort of activities to manifest.

"I need to arrange to have some furniture delivered. After that we'll go back and paint the rooms." I was making a mental list of items I needed to buy to make the apartment less tragedy and more tempting.

Furniture shopping with Quil was another thing to add to my list of tasks I never wanted to repeat in any lifetime. Quil decided to play the part of lovers. While I was randomly selecting two beds for the place, he came up behind me. Wrapping his arms around my waist he sent us both bouncing into the mattress.

"I don't know, big boy, I think there's too many springs in this one." Resorting to giggling he yelled over to the salesman, who had dropped all of his paperwork watching 'Rocky' and the horrible picture show he was performing.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sir? Do you have a bed without so much bounce?" Quil was batting his eyes outrageously and I wanted to throw up. Elbowing him in the stomach, I got back up and started to leave.

"All right, all right. You don't have to get so huffy." The use of his falsetto voice had me resorting back to cursing as I barged my way out of the store and back to the car. Quil was right behind me, twirling and prancing like some fucked up ballerina from Fantasy Fest.

"Oh, come on, Jake. That was funny. Did you see that guy? He was ready to grab a camcorder and start taping that shit. Live a little for Christ's sake. The guy spends his life selling furniture, how exciting can that be? Besides, I lived up to my end of the bargain. At no point did I make a single reference to your imprint." My hostility remained but the anger had dissipated. He honestly thought events like this should be an everyday occurrence and my mind scrambled to search his boundaries of where to cross the line.

"Would you have acted that way if Claire was with you?"

"Absolutely. In fact if she had been here, she probably would have played the part of the scorned lover. Then I would have to make it up to her. Actually that sounds like a lot of fun, maybe I should invite her here to do a little mattress shopping." His patient tone left me reeling in his blunt honesty.

"You guys are both seriously fucked in the head, did you know that?"

"Not all of us lack a sense of humor, Jake. Trust me, as your best friend, I'm telling you that was funny."

Driving across town to a new store, I made Quil stay in the car. Despite his assurances that he would behave, I knew he was waiting for the opportunity for a repeat performance. I did not want to have to watch him kneel across a table asking me if it was strong enough for the two of us to fuck on.

Friday morning I picked up the apartment keys from the broker, who reiterated at least ten times to call him if I needed anything. Trying to reassure him, I thanked him for his help and promised to recommend his services to my acquaintances. I meant it as a compliment but the guy looked like he wanted to flee the country at the thought of my friends wanting his help. By eight in the evening the apartment held promise. We had cleaned it up nicely and after the furniture had been delivered it actually felt homey.

Saturday arrived and I was determined to greet Bella at her front door. Sadly, I had forgotten to set an alarm clock and rushed to get to her apartment on time. Arriving at exactly 10:30 found Bella waiting for me once again downstairs. She had said casual dress and she herself was dressed casual but it was hot. She had a pair of baggy, faded shorts that much to my appreciation had spent one too many trips in the dryer. I wouldn't have classified them as indecent but they portrayed their name. I was happy I had gone with middle of the road, in my own well worn denim shorts and brown shirt. She had a cooler and blanket and it became obvious we were going on a picnic. Jumping out of the car I went to grab the cooler and place it in the trunk.

"You didn't have to lug that down all by yourself. I would have come up and carried it down." I was grappling between Bella wanting to believe I was a gentleman but not wanting her to think she wasn't capable of carrying a lunchbox by herself.

"That's okay, it wasn't that heavy." She was all smiles, pulling out a pair of sunglasses at the sun's sudden blinding display.

"So, where to?" I asked, throwing the car into gear and merging into traffic.

"Go out to the interstate, south bound. I'll let you know when we get close." Laughing loudly, I was excited that she was enjoying her game of cloak and dagger. Only people who felt comfortable with each other would do so in such a relaxed fashion. Turning on some music, I pulled onto the interstate and we traveled for thirty or so miles. Every so often Bella would nod her head in beat to the music as she sat comfortably next to me watching the scenery drift by. Out of nowhere she told me to get in the right hand lane and take the next exit.

Complying with her request, I exited. At the stop sign she pointed left, sitting forward and looking even more thrilled than she already was. A few miles went by before a large green sign announced exactly where we were going.

"An orchard?" I asked. _Did that mean th__ere was a farm?_ Quil's taunting came back full force.

"Sort of. Actually I thought we could pick some raspberries." Bella's excitement allowed me to relax again and it wasn't a good thing. I struggled with my inner alter ego as it took the word berry and ran through every degenerative thought and illustration any sexually active male imagined. Unknowingly Bella only added fuel to the inferno.

Trailing behind her, I was too interested in watching her bend over or stretch across a bush. Every fifteen feet or so, I reached out and randomly grab some foliage to throw in the bucket. The naturalistic aromas from the field reminded me a lot of Bella and I wondered if she spent much time here. After about an hour she stopped. Smiling she held up her bucket.

"Mine's about full, how are you doing?" Looking down at the pail in my own hands, I realized that there were a lot of leaves and twigs, few berries.

"I don't think they like me very much." I replied, wondering what the hell I had really been doing for the past hour. It was like the fruit had taken a campaign against me and jumped pail while my attention was diverted elsewhere. Laughing, she sat down her bucket and stood over mine pulling out debris.

"Here, let me show you." Leaning in closely I listened as she explained how to pick out the most promising of the tiny fruits based on their size, color and texture. After another half hour or so, this time my pail containing all the little prisoners that had previously escaped undetected, we wandered back to the farm house to measure out our cache. Bella seemed to have a pretty good idea as to what it was going to cost and had the cash ready to hand over to the farmer, much to my chagrin.

Trotting out back to the car with the boxes of POW's, I set them inside while grabbing the blanket and cooler before making my way back out to a nearby field where Bella was waiting to start our picnic. The blanket was blessedly small, allowing me to sit really close to her. I could hear Quil, running around the hillside in a perimeter formation. I couldn't see him, but any werewolf would be able to make out the distinct sounds as he romped, flipped and nose dived unnecessarily throughout the terrain while humming the theme song to James Bond.

"I didn't know what you liked but I made a large variety of sandwiches." Tensing at the thought of culinary delights the vamps taught her as normal, I braced myself for feigning non hunger, while Bella continued with her list of goodies.

"I have ham and Swiss, turkey and cheddar, and BLT's" Pulling out several foil wrapped packages she waited for my answer. The first two sounded like my best option but I had a feeling Fate was ready to strike. My voice slightly shook as I asked the stupidest of all questions.

"Um, what else is on the ham and Swiss?"

"Just some mayo, lettuce and tomato." The relief was instantaneous. Reaching out my hand for the non tainted sandwich Bella passed to me, I slowly unwrapped it. Not wanting to eat like a werewolf I took a few smaller than normal bites. Bella placed some things back in the cooler before grabbing her own selection. The smell hit me at once and I could hear Quill, as he stopped humming and took in deep breaths trying to pinpoint it. I almost told him to run away and save himself while he could.

"What kind did you choose?" I asked her, watching as she took a bit before answering.

"A BLT. Why did you want to try some?" She held out the offending thing and I almost dropped my own sandwich. Tightening my grip on the bread, I forced myself to man up. _For god's sake, it's only food._

"What, uh, exactly makes up a BLT?" I almost closed my eyes before she answered but, as awful as I knew it was about to be, I really didn't want the visuals.

"Have you never had a BLT? It's beets, lentils and tuna. Here try some." She waved the noxious thing in front of me again. Telling your imprint you'd rather lick the inside of a port-a-potty was not the way to win her affection. I tried for a more humanitarian aspect.

"No, that's okay. I'm trying to cut back on my fish consumption. You know, the whole mercury poisoning thing."

"Oh." Deep concern filled her eyes. Shit, that was the wrong thing to say. If Bella wanted to eat it, that was fine by me. Well no, not really. But if it made her happy that was the important part. I watched as she wrapped the partially eaten Fear Factor entree back in the foil and leaned over to the cooler to retrieve something else.

"Honey, don't do that. Go ahead and finish it if you want to." I almost choked on the acid creeping up my throat over the idea of actually finishing something like that. Whatever damage I had done was inconsequential as Bella took the subject at face value.

"No, it okay. You're right. Do you know how many domestic animals contract mercury poisoning each year? It's really sad because most have to be euthanized if they even make it that far to begin with." _Not a clue. Is this important? _

We finished our sandwiches and Bella pulled out some bottles of lemonade and cookies. Talking the whole time about furry victims at the cost of mankind. Her passion on the subject was empowering and by the time she had wound down on the topic, I was ready for both of us to live naked in a tree somewhere without any type of modern convenience.

"So, where exactly do you live? It must be fairly close. That was really nice of you to have rented a hotel so I wouldn't panic the next morning." Not wanting to relive any of that dreadful morning at the hotel, I latched on to my exciting news of now having an apartment of my own.

"About that, I actually live a few hours from here, well lived a few hours from here. I just rented an apartment in the area."

"Oh. So you're moving here? " This was a much better oh. Her eyes lit up and I could almost taste her excitement.

"Yeah, I just signed the lease yesterday." Losing the inner battle of wanting to move forward in our relationship, I rushed on. "I really like you Bella and want to try to make something work between us." She was still radiating excitement while staring at me but the silence started to stretch. I could read the happiness but not the thoughts. _ Did I push too fast? _Bella inched closer to me, the smallest of gestures but it spoke volumes.

"Would you really be willing to move away from your family? What about your house?" There was just the tinge of sadness when she said the word family and I wanted to replace the sorrow with all of the love and happiness I felt with her.

"My house is fine. I can keep it, sort of like a weekend getaway. My family will always be there for me. But you, Bella, are what I really want to have something with. I cannot express enough how I feel when I'm in your presence." There was absolutely no verbal articulation to describe the love bestowed and returned from your soul mate. Until one actually experienced it, the feeling was nothing but an idealistic dream. Bella knew exactly what I was trying to define.

"I feel it too, this feeling I get every time I'm around you. I don't know what it is but I'm really happy you'll be here, closer to me." We were so close to each other almost touching and the atmosphere was burning with affection.

"Can I kiss you?" I asked softly, leaning forward. For once I felt like I knew exactly what she wanted as she licked her lips, kneeling up to meet my height.

"Yes." She whispered the word as our lips connected. This kiss was worth more than anything I had ever experienced. My arms wound around her ribcage, traveling up to the back of her neck where my hands gently kneaded her soft neck, massaging each vertebra my fingers came in contact with. She shifted her body and as my legs stretched out before me, she straddled my waist. Gently her tongue ran across my lips as I opened my mouth to reciprocate. Tasting the essence that was simply Bella, I groaned at the savor. I could feel her own warmness pressed against my lap and the seduction felt almost lethal. Bella was using her own feet as leverage and her body was unconsciously rubbing me in all the right places as it slowly ground into me over and over. The internal battle not to lay her down, strip her bare and make love was formidable. Reminding myself that I could not be the leader here, I simply followed her example. After an eternity of pleasure, she pulled away.

"Sorry." She whisper-panted, her cheeks flushed from the endorphins. Tugging her back towards me, I delivered one last soft kiss before responding.

"Don't be, honey. I'm not." Both of us smiling, we sat like that for awhile. When she started to extract herself from my lap I wanted to pull her back. She nudged my shoulder and as I lay down on my back she positioned herself in a similar fashion with her head resting on my chest. We laid there for a few hours watching the clouds drift by and enjoying the newly defined solace we felt from each other. Absently I ran my hand over the crown of her head, feeling the pattern of her ever present braid.

"How come you always have your hair pulled up?" I asked my fingers following the curvatures.

"Jacob, my hair is long, like really, really long. It's just easier this way, keeping it out of my way without turning into one big knot of horror. I don't want to cut it but for most activities it's annoying. Besides, being outside all day and walking around it's pointless to have to keep trying to push it away, so I just pull it up and out of the way. Why?" She tilted her head up at me inquisitively and I swallowed hard hoping that the idea, of seeing her wearing nothing with her hair unbound around her, stayed firmly behind my lips for a future time. A very close future time. Part of it came tumbling out on its own.

"I'd just really like to see you with your hair down."

"I'll tell you what. Tomorrow night the two of us can go out for the evening and I promise I'll wear my hair loose." I agreed readily and somehow we fell into a tickling match. After another hour or so we packed up and left to head back into the city. Bella was already getting out of the car, with her cooler containing the spoils of today's horticultural warfare.

"Let me walk you up." I stated, reaching to pull the keys out of the ignition. However, Bella had fallen into an absent nervousness.

"It's okay, I got it. Besides I'll see you tomorrow." It hurt a little, but maybe it was a test to see how pushy I was. I threw her embarrassment factor out the window. She had already shown she could care less about material things, she wouldn't care one way or another what I thought about her residence. I was going to pass this test if it killed me. Which it might.

Dinner and a movie. As cliché as it sounded at least it would allow us both time to converse and me a guaranteed two hours of just peacefully being able to hold her hand and admire her during our time together. I had left Quil at the apartment for the evening. He was blaming me for his run in with one of nature's gift: honeybees. Apparently sometime during his James Bond routine he had chosen the wrong bush to flip into. I was kind of sorry I had missed it as he sat there telling me how he had run screaming for a mile or so before finding a lake to jump into. I'd have to remember to think about it in wolf form so I could get the whole visual experience.

As usual she was already waiting for me downstairs when I arrived. She was a goddess, dressed in a mid thigh pale blue skirt dotted with flowers and a slightly darker blue sleeveless top that was open backed and wrapped around her neck. No one could miss her beautiful body but what took my breath away was her hair. As promised she had left it down from any adornment and it was long. Curling and cascading all around her, it reached her waist. It was beautiful and sexy and I wanted to strip both of our clothes and feel it feather across my body.

Dinner was entertaining as we shared funny antics about our friends, places we had been or would like to visit. At the movies she chose a Disney film which was extremely beneficial. Not too many people were there, the film not being considered something most daters would attend.

We drove back home in companionable silence and I found myself wondering if she was thinking the same thing I was. I wanted to see what her apartment looked like, what kind of décor had she immersed herself in. Actually I wanted to see her bedroom, the place where she sprawled out every night and where hopefully I would soon join her. I wanted the intimacy, the sex, but it seemed like a harsh word, tainting the feelings I had. Worshiping her from afar was fine and good but I wanted us to share a physical relationship, giving, taking and exalting in the feelings both of us would feel, much like our meadow kiss.

As I pulled up to park the car, she asked the question I had been hoping for the most.

"Would you like to come upstairs for a drink?" There was a slight tremor to her voice and I had to wonder if maybe she wasn't as agreeable with the idea as I was.

"Very much so, but only if you're comfortable." I was still sorting through the pushy demeanor Bella might misinterpret if I appeared to anxious.

"I'm fine." She replied, smiling and beckoning me with a lighthouse aura.

As I followed her to lead the way, I wondered where Fate was. It wasn't normal to have such a reprieve but maybe I had earned it. Approaching her front door, I took in a deep breath. I couldn't sense any parasites nearby and that kind of surprised me. If they were her family, there should be trace remnants of their visit but all I captured were the odors of the building and homes.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside to a wide foyer, flicking on the lights as she placed her keys and purse on a nearby table. Walking a little further forward we passed a kitchen on the left, a small breakfast nook occupied the back of the kitchen. To the right was a side hallway which bended at the end to what I assumed were the bedrooms. Passing another set of switches, Bella clicked them up, illuminating a large area in front of us. What was supposed to be a dining room had been converted into an office. Every wall space was occupied with bookcases, except for one small corner which had a desk. The living room held the everyday normal couch and recliners, complete with end tables.

I was pleasantly surprised. From what I could tell, the entire place had ceramic tile. The walls smelled fairly new and almost all of them were painted in soft neutral colors. Set high, on its own table, stood an aquarium. Maybe thirty or so gallons, it held an array of non-aggressive sea life. Several different colored corals were placed strategically on the bottom and a couple of seahorses drifted amongst the current of the pump. Marine biology was not my forte but I could easily identify the starfish and clown fish that moved throughout their biosphere.

Taking another breath, I froze. _What was that scent? _ It wasn't leech but I had never encountered the odor before. It almost had a parsley like aroma with a hint of ammonia? It confused me as I realized there was medicinal as well as a humanistic tint to it. Looking around the rooms again, my eyes zeroed in on a smaller table and chair sitting in a corner of the breakfast nook, much like one would purchase for a toddler. Then I heard it. I had been so obsessed with the smells, I had failed to use my ears. Another heartbeat much quieter and faster than Bella's or mine. I listened to the tell-tale signs of feet, slowly pattering painstakingly closer to us. Bella had an unusual expression and as I turned to her I found myself croaking out the obvious.

"Bella? Do you have a child?" The slow shuffle got louder as it approached and I could make out two different sets of synchronized echoes, almost like conjoined Siamese twins. The horror, fear and confusion washed over Bella. Apparently Fate had not forgotten about me.


	10. Fate Has Minions!

**Fate has Minions!**

Fate. It jumped out at me like a bad surprise birthday party. The type where, you walk through the front door pissed off or shit faced to the point where, the last thing you need or want is a house full of people trying to wish you annual cheer and well being.

She had a child. Or two. I could only hear one heartbeat down the hall. Was it possible? Did she really have Siamese twins that shared a single heart? It would have to be. I doubt two hearts could beat so rhythmically as to be indistinguishable from each other. The padding of feet scared me. Whatever was approaching had more than two appendages. There was a smaller echo of clicking, a ricochet not completely shared with the padding. Every hair on my body stood up, the wolf inside me growing restless. We detected a predator of sorts, one coming directly for our mate. The unknown scent increased and I fought to stand my ground. Bella turned to the darkened hallway we had passed, her arms outstretched towards the ground and murmured "Come here, Van." Fate held its breath in anticipation.

_Oh god! Only one name_. _What horror was approaching?_ Suddenly the thudded padding accelerated, my heart matching the tempo of increased speed. Any second and the adrenaline would kick in. Regardless of Bella expecting the entity, the wolf would win in dominance over its mate, removing her from harm of the unknown. Time was irrelevant, the theory of it out of commission. Each second passed like an eternity as I stood on the verge of being the animal I was and the human, which resided within, pushed away. It was supposed to be the other way around, I was human and I needed to control my beast. Time ran empty as out it jumped, the horror of all, into Bella's arms. Apparently, Fate had minions.

She cooed to it, this abomination. A multitude of browns, blacks, oranges and reds made up the exterior like a Halloween party favor, gone wrong. I guessed it to be around 20-25 pounds. It started twitching and undulating in waves and I was horrified to think of what it might be doing when I noticed it. This thing, this Van, had a fifth appendage.

The twitching came fast paced, the fifth extension unfurling from its body, gaining momentum and radiating from the tip. I watched as it lashed back and forth, oscillating in front of Bella's legs. I waited for this thing's defense mechanism to appear, like a scorpion getting ready to strike. As the twitching slowed, the silence was filled with a harsh droning noise. The sound absorbed and replaced that of beating hearts and the soft fleshy noises of the lungs currently occupying the hallway. Bella's voice halted the drone.

"Jacob, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Van. Can you say hello, Van?" At this point, Van slowly turned its head towards me. The motion was defined and painful, like watching Linda Blair in the movie, The Exorcist. If anything remotely resembling pea soup came out of its mouth, Bella and I would be living the rest of our lives in the Vatican. I struggled to meet the stare of its wide copper eyes. They looked exactly like two pennies, the older ones that were minted before the treasury replaced the copper metal with nickel aluminum. But pennies were not something to be terrified of, unlike this thing's burning glare of satanic demons. This thing was something from Hell. I grappled with my own normal bodily functions like breathing, processing and understanding.

"Van? As in an automobile?" Desperately I grasped the concept of this, this thing. She had named it and I struggled with the significance, as if it would allow me to mentally accept what my eyes were perceiving.

"No, as in van Gogh, the painter. His full name is van Gogh's Reese's Pieces Masterpiece." She ran her hand over the head of it lovingly, something she viewed as _a what?_ The name, in no way, allowing me to understand exactly what it might be nor alleviating me of the terror emitting from this demigod of Hell. Fate began singing in some cult like chant. Bella was waiting for me to acknowledge this goblin and I stuttered out a question of my own, still fighting the inevitable nature of Fate.

"Is that a cat?" I really felt dumb when Bella started laughing so hard she had to set down the monstrous _animal?_

"Oh my, God! You should see the look on your face. Are you not a cat person?" The confirmation of this creature was disturbing. She continued laughing and hollowly, I joined in the infectious atmosphere for a completely different reason. Here I was, worried about an oversized house cat when I myself was a wolf the size of a bear and Bella was being homegrown by vampires. Fate stood off to the side, accepting congratulations while casually blowing on its nails and rubbing them nonchalantly across its chest.

"I, uh, haven't had much experience with cats. It's not that I hate them, per say, but I am definitely more of a dog person." _What an understatement. _Bella continued to speak to it, praising it on what a magnificent creature he was. Fate was showing me image after image of what this meant for us and I failed to censor my words.

"He looks more like a Picasso." I finally muttered, taking in his ragged ears and smooched face. Did he even have a chin? He honestly looked like he had failed to stop in time and ran into a wall. He certainly didn't look like any type of cat I remembered seeing. Bella immediately took offense and I thought she was going to cry.

"It's not his fault. We were at a show and he of course had won first place in best of show and best in breed. They had him along with the second and third place winners on the pedestals for pictures. That mangy...err the second place cat was a Savannah. No one really knows what set her off, but she lunged at Van and the damage was unrepairable. The Savannah was banned from future shows but Van can't compete anymore."

I wanted to comfort and laugh at her at the same time. What the hell was she talking about? A cat show, like they paraded them around, similar to a Ms. America contest?

"So, uh, how did you get stuck with it?" I asked still a little confused. Had she drawn the short straw? Who brought home such a disfigured creature as a pet?

"Stuck? No, he was a present from my brother. I've had Van since he was a kitten. I just wanted a regular pet, but Alice nagged me so much, I just took him to a couple of shows to get her off my back. Most people hardly ever notice the clip in his ear. I'm surprised you noticed."

_Clip? Ear?_ It was then that I saw his left ear wasn't quite as symmetrical as his right. Was that the only thing she thought was keeping her from showing it?

"Do you have any show pictures?" I asked. I desperately needed a clue here as to what he was supposed to look like from before his accident. _What the hell was a Savannah?_

She pointed proudly towards one of the bookshelves on the far wall where a cluster of small photos sat. One of them was a cameo of the cat, minus the small tear in his ear. Well apparently whatever had attacked him hadn't made him this disfigured. According to another picture of him as a kitten, he was born this way. I somehow miserably failed to see any beauty, cuteness or Grandness to the Grand champion cat. I was never going to live this down with the pack. Fate was downing Dom Perignon.

"Do you want to hold him?" Bella asked excitedly. _What?_ Fuck no, I didn't want to hold him. Or see him. Unless it included an aerosol can and lighter. But one look at Bella's face immediately stopped that line of thinking.

"What's with the toddler table?" I asked, jerking my head in the direction of the dining room. _Could redirection possibly work without having to destroy Bella's heart with the ugly truth?_

"Oh, Alice thought it was more dignified for him to eat that way rather than off the floor. He really is a member of the family." This cat had more privileges than the president's kids and it knew it.

By now, Bella had picked it back up and the thing slowly craned its neck to stare at me some more. Cautiously, it looked me over before he slowly opened his mouth to expose his pointy little teeth. The damn thing was sizing me up, trying to contemplate the possible threat I posed while simultaneously trying to warn me off. He was in for a surprise. I was more a part of nature than most humans and if it was one thing I knew about, it was staking a claim and protecting. Undetectable to Bella's ears, I let out a growl, watching in amusement then horror as he puffed up, turned around and began licking Bella's cheek while butting his head against her chin in between licks, marking her. _Motherfucker..._

Bella was still staring at me, waiting? _What had she asked? Oh, damn._

"Maybe next time. Let him get used to me before I start fondling him, you know take it slow. Don't want to scare him from the get go." Thank god that was an acceptable answer as she set him down and returned to the kitchen, jabbering away to Van. _Like he has a snowball's chance in hell as to know what she's talking about. _Apparently this was a routine they were well versed in as he pranced behind her, tailing flicking back and forth every few feet.

Fleetingly, I lagged behind, struggling over this new concept Fate had forced me into accepting. It was the balance system all over again. Somehow, someway, we had to meet in the middle on this. I could handle the aquarium, hell I would buy her Sea World if that's what she wanted. But a cat was out of the question. Like vampires and werewolves, we were arch enemies. This was not destiny, this was Fate. Those slimy fuckers knew I had thrown off their chains of control and in retaliation they had sent this new soldier to fight a battle they no longer had access to. Hovering in the kitchen doorway, I watched as Bella started cutting slices of cheese and placing them on two separate plates. When she was done, she poured out some crackers onto one of the plates and then, placing a single cracker on the other, picked it up and walked over to the toddler table. Placing it down, the furry prince sat in his chair and began devouring the tiny yellow rectangles. Every third or fourth piece, he'd stop to lick at the cracker. Walking back towards the remaining plate, Bella picked it up along with two flutes and a bottle of wine. I loved her with everything I was worth, but I couldn't help thinking this was how a lot of horror movies went: The happiness, the hinting of the monster, the seduction and then?

We sat in the living room on the couch sharing more stories and information about ourselves. Van had been Bella's main drive towards becoming a vet. He became her rock during school, a constant reminder of what the end would hold once she graduated. Whatever reservations I may have felt were gone. Replacing them were the thoughts from earlier in the car, of what I had hoped to occur, becoming true. What started as slow and seductive grew increasingly fast into a frenzied passion. Not caring who had made the first move, or how we had gotten there, I simply accepted. She was straddling my waist, gripping my head as her tongue licked my lips, her teeth sensuously nipping. The moment I plunged my tongue into her mouth and she began to lightly suck it, I lost all ideas of restraint and control. In one fluid motion, I picked her up. Still straddling my waist, I proceeded down the hallway she had previously indicated contained the bedrooms.

Placing her in the middle of the bed I groaned as her lips moved along my jaw and up towards my ear where she nuzzled and licked. Clothes became a casualty and before all four bases became a thing of the past, I admired the scene presented. Gloriously nude, she reclined on the pillows with her hair completely disarrayed around her in a halo. Her presentation, in such a fashion, was worthy of any Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo, and thoughts of commissioning such a masterpiece became an addiction.

* * *

Waking up next to the most beautiful creature on the planet was heaven. Bella was curled up in a ball, pressed next to me. There was a pillow right above her head. What was on that pillow was Evil Incarnate. The furball was laying there curled around her head as much as possible. He had a patient stance about him as he stared at her, almost willing her to awaken.

"Go away!" I quietly hissed as though this intent gaze of his might suddenly waken her like an alarm clock. Van drew his eyes to me, the symmetrical inquisition seeming pensive. After several minutes he smirked at me before returning to his initial intended. _Damn! Why didn't I close the door? _This was not the way I wanted to wake up for the next fifteen years or so. Maybe I could get lucky and Fate would call him back sooner.

I decided I could ignore him in the same fashion he was ignoring me. I glanced around the room looking for a clock. On the nightstand, I found it. It was 9:15, early for my standards and obviously Bella's as well. Her bed was the best damn thing I had ever laid on. The thing probably cost more than my car. I wanted to order something nicer for when we moved to La Push. Then again, maybe not. No reason to add speculation to Bella's character. If the rez caught sight of some high end furniture delivery out there then gossip would spread. Everyone knew I could care less about brands but they might think otherwise about Bella.

Shaking away that type of thinking, I concentrated on Bella's breathing. She was so quiet, I doubted a normal person would hear her. I slowly adjusted her hair from her face so I could better see my earth bound celestial being. I began daydreaming of our future. I couldn't wait until I could propose. Our wedding would be beautiful. Whatever she wanted, I would go with. Most guys, myself included, rarely cared about the details as long as the bride showed up. The majority of the pack, who had already gotten married, stuck with a fairly traditional routine. Picturing Bella in an elegant white dress, my thoughts took a sharp turn. She'd obviously still wear white, but would it have meaning? Premarital sex had never come up and I wondered if she wanted to wait. Home plate had been put on hold, but if all we did until the honeymoon was like last night, I could wait. The thoughts of her beautiful lips and hands seeking across my body caused the lower half of me to rise to attention as I visualized last night. _Maybe we could take a nice leisurely shower this morning before going to..._

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I found myself huddled into a small ball on the floor, cupping myself and seething. Looking up back towards the bed found both Bella and Van peering over. One knew exactly what the fuck had just occurred and the other was completely clueless.

"Jacob, are you okay? What's wrong?" Even roused abruptly from sleep, her voice was gentle and caring.

"I'm fine, Van just scratched me." Lost in my fantasy I had failed to witness his preparation to launch himself from Bella's pillow onto my crotch. I did not want to tell Bella that her precious demon had thought my twitching dick was a toy for his pleasure. The evil fucker was laughing, he had to be. Certainly Fate was.

Bella just nodded uncertainly, still half asleep. Squinting her eyes as she looked toward the nightstand, she suddenly gasped and shot out of the bed.

"Oh my god, I'm late!" Jumping from the bed, Bella leaped towards one of the other doors in the bedroom. Completely forgetting about myself, I watched her nude body streak across the room to a closed door, that was thrown open by her. She reemerged with clothes in hand before continuing.

"I was supposed to be at work half an hour ago." She ran into the bathroom before shutting the door. I could hear the water running and wanted to strangle Fate for taking away my ideas of a shower with Bella. I managed to find my own clothes and was dressed when Bella came back out, ten minutes later. Dashing over to the bed where I was sitting, she stumbled over her words trying to speak quickly.

"I'm so sorry, I gotta go. I should be home by five, spare keys in the junk drawer in the kitchen. Feel free to stay or, if not, lock up and I'll call you tonight." With the briefest of kisses, she ran out of the room struggling to put on her shoes. I heard the front door open and close and then all was silent. There was no sight of Feline Bobbit.

I walked through the apartment, examining the little things that made up Bella. Coming to the last undefined room, I hesitated. The door was slightly ajar and I wondered what it contained. Short of a piano, Fate really couldn't throw anything else at me. Arguing with myself about how and why I had turned into such a coward, I gave the door a tiny nudge allowing the hinges to use gravity in opening the door. I lost the battle, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, searching for the reassurance of a lack of any more zoological surprises. Detecting nothing, I took a step forward and opened my eyes. Not even a million times in Hell could have prepared me for this.

This room was not neutral in color. What wall space that could be seen, was painted a deep, threatening green. Facing the inside of the building, it didn't have any windows. To make up for this, massive UV fixtures had been suspended from the ceiling. The entire floor was Astro turf; yards and yards of a thick, plushy, emerald canvas. A variety of, hanging and free standing, potted plants covered the area. One fourth of the room alone held a jungle gym, designed for very small bodies. Amid the foliage it was barely discernible; the maker being an artist. It was designed to look like its own copse, the base a mass of woods, etched and carved to resemble bark. The top alone would have simulated leafless branches. Instead, intricately forged, were hooks and holders. Filled with live plants, it was the copycat of a forest canopy. As I stood there, trying to figure out if Bella was some type of secret Moreau, a small audible click broke me from the indoor rainforest. With a harsh buzz, the lights changed, some turning on, others off. I felt like I was watching a play, as a spotlight illuminated the last thing I had expected to see. There, on the far wall, stood a toddlers bed. A tiny miniature metal frame with an equally sized mattress. The last light, to click on, was a heating lamp stationed above this pallet. Mockingly, the light fell around it, highlighting the duvet. Cartoon mice made up the pattern. I wasn't a violent person, unless need be, but at this moment? At this moment, my greatest wish was to start a forest fire. A little accelerant, a single sulfuric stick and this nightmare would vanish like the Hell it mimicked. Twice, I walked to the bathroom, in search of a fuel to complete my task. And twice, I talked myself out of it. Had I not gotten so angry over the pack's previous idea, about setting fire to Bella's apartment, I might have been successful in my task. Finally, giving up, I closed the door to the original position, leaving the fiendish Eden.

Making my way into the kitchen, I searched for something resembling a junk drawer. I heard the hairball pad in behind me and could feel his evil stare cast on my back. Slowly turning around, we watched each other. He didn't enter the kitchen, just sat at the threshold waiting. Giving in, I resumed my search for a junk drawer and hit pay dirt with drawer number six. It contained various office supplies, take out menus, a flashlight and in the very back, a set of keys. I heard the minion twitch and I spun around ready to defend myself.

"What? What the hell is your problem? There's nothing to see here, go back to your shrine."

He knew something, and the cold essences of Fate hit me. Looking at the keys in my hand, I found his merriment. There on the key ring was a photo holder with none other than a picture of him. Returning my glare to the real life version, he continued sitting there, licking his paw before rubbing it over his gnarled face. Van knew this monstrosity of a key chain held a memento of him and that I would be stuck carrying it around like some damn trophy. I started to tug off the key from the ring when he coughed. His look cleared it up. I was a dumbass; Bella's feeling would be hurt if I removed this, this eyesore. He was laughing again, in a silent ha-ha fuck you sort of way.

Driving back to my apartment, I felt like Bella and I had accomplished an important step in our relationship. A few flaws but, with the exception of Vatan, nothing that couldn't be worked out. I had barely walked through the front door of my apartment when Quil tackled me.

"So, tell the sex god," Quil was pointing to himself, "all of your fucktacular conquests from last night. I promised you I wouldn't say anything about your sex life but the least you could do is tell me about it. Is she freaky? Did you guys use peanut butter? Tell me you got down and dirty with those berries. On a scale of one to...What's that smell?" The conversational whiplash was brutal as Quil began sniffing me like he was a Great Dane and I was some goddamn Scooby snack.

"Get the hell off me, Quil!" Shoving him away from me, I walked into the dining room and sat down at my new table. Quil followed behind me and took a seat across from my position.

"Well, I would say you're grumpy as fuck again because you didn't get any, but I can smell that shit a mile away. What's that other smell?" His eyes glazed over and his excited pitch grew higher, "Fuck me sideways, I was fucking right. She is into that freaky shit. What the hell did you guys get down and dirty with?" Groaning, I rested my elbows on the table supporting my forehead in my hands. _Why was he with me?_

"Quil, I am not talking about this right now." Eventually the cat would be out of the bag and I would have to explain Bella's choice of household companions. As much as I prayed for the proverbial bag to lie at the bottom of the sound, I refused to even hint about the furry repulsiveness. Quil had no idea what he was asking for.

"J, dude, don't leave a brother in the dark. What was it?" None of us knew anything about cats, Quil included. He could smell its scent but I felt I could misdirect the truth.

"She has a pet." I replied, thinking about the tranquil marine exhibit that sat in her living room. I should have been thinking about Quil's comprehension.

"A pet? I've never met a chick before who named her snatch. But I'm not talking about her pussy, what the hell is that scent?" Fate could barely hold itself up, laughing over the paradox in Quil's misnomer. Looking up, I inattentively continued my fabrication.

"Well, she had an aquarium and..."

"Dude, I don't give a fuck what piece of furniture you screwed on, well I do, but we'll get back to that later. What I want to know is, what were you guys using..." Mid sentence he stopped, a sexual calculating Quil returning full force to summarize. "You said an aquarium, right? And, aside from the sex, I can make out a heavy tinge of ammonia. I'm assuming not all of the little sea life critters were dead, right?" Slowly I nodded my head. This conversation was so wrong and I wanted to stop it. But like a traffic accident, I couldn't help but gawk and indulge wondering what Quil was about to deduce. Fate gleefully waved from the exit of mental sanity.

"Oh my fucking Christ in a hand basket. You sleazy, lucky motherfucker. I fucking knew it. Your little cupcake is one deviated kinky bitch. Fuck, you just get it all, don't you? Not only is she the hottest piece of ass to ever walk the planet but also, also, she's this perfect eccentric sex demon! Damn, J, even you can't turn that shit down when your imprint wants it." I literally reeled back in my chair as Quil continued his over expletive monologue.

"You didn't think I'd figure that shit out, did ya? Trying to play off the weird ass smell thing. Dude, I may not have a college education but even I know the only living sea creature she could have, in a house tank, that you guys could play with like that, is an octopus." I was still reeling and had to grip onto the sides of the chair to stay upright. Quil barreled on, like a Mack truck, not noticing or caring of my interpretation of his false findings.

"Fuck, this puts a whole new meaning to playing with your calamari. How well do the suckers work with the thing? I mean, did you use them to tease her, or did she use them on you? Damn, I can't believe your imprint does shit I never even thought of." Hooting, he jumped out of his chair, racing into the other room. Ten seconds later he was back, clutching the phone and ripping through the phone book. His saucer sized eyes glimmering with excitement, he proceeded to call every pet store in the Seattle area. Leaving the table, I went to take a shower, change my clothes and forget that Mother Nature allowed people like Quil to live.

Twenty five minutes later, I came back out into the living room to find Quil slumped over on the couch, talking to himself. Kicking his foot several times to get his attention, he refocused and began with another series of answers and questions.

"Not a single pet store in the state has any octopi. Do you think Bella would let me borrow hers?"

"No." I stated, as Fate began showing me the possibilities.

"Well, did she say where she got it?" I thought about the whole situation for a few minutes. Did Quil really deserve this? Was it fair to reciprocate in such a manner? Despite my countless warnings and demands, Quil refused to think, he just acted. I promised myself that this would only have to happen once, that after I committed this act, he would back off and let me live in peace.

"I believe she mentioned receiving it as a token of appreciation. At one of those, oh what did you call it? Oh, yeah. One of those shitty sushi places."

"Really?" Quil asked, while I struggled to keep an evil smile off of my face.

"Yeah, the chef was so impressed with the amount of sushi she had consumed, he rewarded her for her efforts. She was immensely touched by the gesture, deciding to keep him as a pet and, well, you can imagine the rest." My cell rang before I could continue this trap. Retrieving it, I answered, not bothering to look at the screen. Fate simply grinned, knowing I had forgotten about my life outside of Bella.


	11. Collect Call from Fate

**Phoning Fate**

"Hello," I answered still trying to keep the smirk of my face as Quil sat there dreaming of the possibilities of sushi. Fate rushed forward with a napkin, clearing any type of smile in less than a second.

"Mr. Black? This is Peter Harrison, Engineering director for Lockheed-Martin."

"Yes?" I asked, wondering what the hell they were calling for. I was already ass deep in projects, half of which had nothing to do with mechanics.

"Well, the KAV plans are not what we agreed to." His tone was not pleasant and I found myself sinking into a chair.

"Wait. That contract was completed two months ago." He had to be talking about one of the side projects I had refused to partake in. Give them an inch and they thought they owned the whole damn mile. I paid a tenth of my salary to a law shark to make sure accidental in between the line clauses didn't occur. I watched as Fate inappropriately groped Lady Liberty.

"Yes, it was. However, the prototype has failed."

"Failed? That's not possible. I oversaw prototypes A and B personally. There were no complications or problems." Relaxing in the chair I knew this was a simple misunderstanding.

"Be that as it may, we have the first generation model A and it has failed in the test trial. We are scheduled for production in less than two weeks. You are required to make an appearance and clear up this matter." _The man could be an Alpha with a tone like that! _Straightening back up, I returned his force.

"I can't just drop everything else because some idiot doesn't know how to turn the key. Who's the project manager on this one? Let me talk to him."

"Mr. Black, I have just gotten off the phone with Tim Jackson. As we speak, he is in the research bay attempting to fix your mistakes. They have run the numbers, the error is not present. Obviously, this is a matter that requires your personal attention." _Obviously, this man was one clueless prick_.

"And that's what I'm trying to do. Have Mr. Jackson call me and I will go over the specs with him." Fate roared with indignation and threw the scales of justice straight for my head.

"Mr. Black, need I remind you that you are bound by contract. Right now we are sitting on a half billion dollar piece of scrap metal." Closing my eyes, I collapsed back into the chair, any hope of salvation gone.

"No, you don't need to remind me of anything. I will attempt to make arrangements shortly. What location is my presence required at?"

"The immediate production will occur at the Massachusetts facility. I believe you are familiar with the area. How soon can I inform them of your arrival?"

"Let me check on flights, I'll call you back." Blindly, I shut the phone off to ponder my next move.

God fucking dammit, why now? I was ready to spend time with Bella, build a support structure for our relationship. Not spend a night with her only to leave the fucking state the next day. I had to do damage control before damage actually happened. Gradually my thoughts turned to Quil who was calling every seafood and sushi restaurant in the area looking to see which ones might cater to live cephalopods. Slowly, I reopened my eyes. _Courage, courage, courage._

"Quil, put away your," I almost bit my tongue in half as I continued, "Sushi sexcapades and listen closely. I am going to have to fly out of town tonight. I need you to keep an eye on the situation here. The rules have not changed. You are not permitted any contact." Quil closed the phone book, lovingly running his hands over the cover before joining the conversation.

"I think you're overreacting a little. You're leaving, she's going to be lonely. I think you need to let me wine and dine her, keep her comfortable around us." _Wine and...What the hell?_

"It's not like I'm a pair of fucking shoes that require constant contact to become familiar with. She's sure as hell not going to forget me and in no way, shape or form does she need to become familiar with you. Besides, I kind of already promised her your ass would be far, far away. I'm not going back on my word now."

"But you did lie!"

"No, I didn't. I told her your ass would be far away hence the half mile perimeter. That's pretty far in my book. I didn't lie at all." Whether he believed me or not, didn't seem to matter as he moved on to his next bitch.

"I'm not doing it." Quil folded his arms across his chest as if daring me to argue.

"What?" I asked, trying to determine what the hell he was talking about.

"You heard me; I'm not fucking doing it. You want me to keep a watch, fine. But I'm not playing secret service anymore. If I have to guard her ass, then I get to at least interact with her."

"No!" _Jesus Christ, was he serious? He thought I would leave him__ alone with her?_

"Yes! I'm not talking about one on one lessons with her octopus. But it would be nice if I could maybe take her out to dinner, become acquainted. Are you going to make her live on the rez without ever leaving the house? She needs to be introduced to us, get familiar with the whole tribal thing."

"Quil, I'm only going to be gone three fucking days at the most. In three days you don't need to interact with her."

"In three days time, I should at least be allowed to go out to dinner with her. Why is that so hard to believe?" Even an average human, first learning about monsters being real, could understand why his statement was unbelievable.

"Because, you are one ruthless fucker. Bella and I aren't married yet. One slip and she could say goodbye to me forever." _Is that real enough?_

"No tongue slipping, I swear." Quil had an earnest expression on his face, as he proceeded to stretch his tongue out far enough to make Gene Simmons jealous.

"That! That right there is what I am talking about. Every fucking thing out of your mouth involves sex. Normal people don't discuss sex like it's the goddamn weather. And since Quileute sex is the same shit that occurs everywhere else in the world, you have no reason to talk to her about anything."

"For fuck's sake! You guys got your fucking groove on with an octopus and you're worried I'll scare her? Normal people don't use a fucking octopus in the bedroom unless the fucking thing has batteries. Plus, she hangs out at the most fucked up club on the planet, and my innuendos will be what sends her away? I think you have that shit backwards, Jake."

"It's not like that. The bloodsuckers convinced her to hang out at that particular club and whatever fetishes she may or may not have, are between her and I, not you."

"Fine. You are embarrassed to talk about the sex issue, whatever. But there is no reason why she can't get to know the real me. Fuck, you and I have been best buds since kindergarten. Am I to become your secret friend all of the sudden? You gonna set me aside for your imprint because you're scared she won't like me or I make her uncomfortable?" His tone became hurtful over the thought of losing his best friend.

"All right. Goddamn, you're one pushy motherfucker. If and fucking listen, IF she wants to go out to dinner with you, so be it. But you stay the fuck out of her apartment and if I come back and she won't talk to me because of some shit you pulled, I'll fucking dewolf you. I will strip you of your rights and title and your ass can leave La Push because I will disown you as tribal blood. You fucking think about that before deciding anything is a good idea."

"I get it, dude. I will be nothing less than the perfect gentleman. I promise nothing will happen. Everyone is too excited about the both of you moving back, there'd be a mile long line to skin my ass if I managed to mess it up." Resigned in his sincerity, I made the necessary calls.

Flights out of Seattle were a dime a dozen. There was an eight o'clock flight that evening, allowing me enough time to pack some shit and explain to Bella that I would be back soon. Calling Mr. Harrison, I informed him to expect me the next morning at the facility to take care of their fuck up. Going to a local hardware store, I had an extra key to the apartment made. I didn't think Bella would have any need or reason to come back here without me but I wanted to let her know I wasn't just walking out on her. Calling her at work, I asked if she would stop by after work. Giving her directions, she agreed to meet me a little after five.

She showed up, looking absolutely beautiful. Her hair was pulled up and I wanted nothing more than to go into my bedroom, strip her naked, unwind her hair and worship her until she was screaming in ecstasy. If it wasn't for the goddamn contract, I would have told Lockheed to fuck off. Just watching Bella stroll through the door had me readjusting myself. This distance thing was not going to work and I couldn't help but wonder where and how many times I'd have to jack off before I'd be able to come home and experience the real deal.

"Hi, Jacob." She exclaimed brightly, walking up to me and giving me a hug. Leaning down, I felt her arms wrap around my neck. Pulling myself back, I kissed her on the lips. She responded just as warmly and things were quickly headed into an area that should be dealt with in a bed. Quil cleared his throat, causing her to blush and pull back.

"I'm sorry," Bella whispered to me before straightening her top and looking over towards Quil.

"Nice to see you again, Quil. Is everything okay?" Quil had a short supply of pleasant vocabulary as it was. Not wanting to exhaust it, I rushed forward with the plan.

"Bella, honey. God, this is unexpected. There's a manufacturing issue with one of my projects. I have to fly out tonight to Massachusetts. I shouldn't be gone longer than a couple of days." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the spare key I had made earlier in the day.

"I promise, I'll call you every night and you can call me whenever you want. Here's a key to the apartment. If, for any reason, you need to come over or whatnot, make yourself at home." Reaching for her hand, I placed the key ring into it. As a slap to the face for the fur demon, I had found a figurine wolf to add to the chain. What I wouldn't give to see, when the fucker realized I could play his game just as well, if not better.

"Oh." She replied, staring at the figurine expressionlessly. I really hated that word. The only time it held any type of meaning was when it was long and drawled out in the bedroom. Of course those types of thoughts were not helping the situation and once again I was trying to inconspicuously adjust myself. Bella caught the movement and briefly stared there not helping at all. Mischievously smiling she pulled me forward to whisper in my ear.

"I would say, I'd help out with that, but I think if I wait until you come back, you'll be that much faster in returning." Kissing my cheek, she pulled back and went into the living room where Quil sat, trying to mask his laughter. He'd heard what she said, the bastard, and thought it was downright hysterical.

Sitting down on the love seat, she patted the space next to her for me to join.

"So do you need me to drive you to the airport?" She asked, eyeing Quil. Fate was off and running grabbing road rally gear for the possibilities of instigating a game of Crash USA. No way did I want Bella out there driving with the taxi terminators.

"No, honey. I'll take my car, it's fine. I just wanted to spend a little time with you before I had to leave." Quil jumped in, trying to plan a scene for Bella to accept him.

"J asked me to house sit while he was gone. Which is really a good thing. I was going to bring my Claire up here for the weekend and wanted to check out some places that she might be interested in." He paused as if a new idea had just occurred.

"Hey! Maybe you could help me out. Give me some ideas as to where to go, where to avoid? That type of sh-stuff."

Relaxing, Bella started making suggestions immediately. Quil hung on to every word she said as if it was gospel. After ten minutes, I was trying to figure out how to interrupt when Quil made his excuse to leave. Bella and I just shared some minutes with nonsense and as the clock ticked forward to my departure she began to look distressed. Promising once again she could call whenever she wanted, we said our goodbyes.

Fate sat next to me the whole way to the airport and on the flight to Massachusetts. Something was up and I couldn't figure out what. Before changing planes in Chicago, I called Bella to wish her goodnight. She must have already been in bed, because I could hear Vatan whining over the loss of Bella's attention. Still feeling uneasy, I ended the call and tried going over some of the paperwork I would need for tomorrow.

It was a little after eight in the morning and I felt like shit after a 7 hour flight, three hour time difference and no Bella. Arriving at the complex, I waited in an office for Mr. Harrison to make his appearance. After making introductions, he informed me that the research bay was strictly monitored. I would be patted down before entering or leaving. Any type of electronic equipment was forbidden. I lost the battle over taking my laptop and briefcase and struggled for the ability to bring in my own paperwork. Ten minutes and six security guards later and I had won. I had no doubt that the manuals would be exactly the same, mine was the master copy. But my copy also held side notes and equations, not necessary for operations but for construction purposes.

Ten fucking hours later and we were no closer to the cause of their malfunction. The engineers on the project might have been nice people. But all I wanted was to find the problem, fix it and leave. The engine itself was my responsibility, not the machine it was in. We argued incessantly over who got to touch what. They wanted to remove the engine for my inspection, which would have been okay but the fucking thing was a fifty-two hour project with a team of ten. I told the lab coat wearing dweeb if they wanted to remove it, they should have fucking done so before I flew my ass across the country to fix their fuck up. It went downhill from there.

By nine that evening, I had removed possible trouble areas from the engine. Everything was as it should be. Giving up for the night, I left the complex after another touchy-feely routine from security. I had spec papers strewn all over the hotel before I realized how much I missed Bella and how damn hungry I was. Ordering take-out, I called to talk to her while waiting for the delivery.

"Hello," she giggled into the receiver.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked, enjoying the sound of her laughter. Quil's own in the background wasn't quite as pleasant, but he must be behaving himself. Bella didn't sound aggravated at all and I had to wonder if maybe I would owe Quil an apology. At the very least, he was keeping her entertained and not leaving her to sit alone at the apartment, talking to Mr. Evil.

"I was just telling Quil about some of the places he should take Claire. She sounds really nice, maybe we could all go out together one night?"

"Sure, honey. Anytime you want to."

"So how are things going? Are you ready to come home?"

"I wish. I'm about ready to scrap the whole project and just bring in a new design."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I miss you."

"I miss you too, sweetie. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Fate was off in the corner, dramatically sighing while evilly smirking. It was just trying to make me paranoid and I brushed aside its attempt to cause panic.

The next morning I felt like the biggest idiot on the planet. I had been so gung-ho about trying to fix an imaginary problem, I hadn't taken the first steps necessary to diagnosis said problem. Security stood outside the research bay anxiously, as the yelling and screaming got louder and louder. After three hours I had managed to reassemble the engine single-handedly while the staff and I exchanged insults.

Once it was complete, one of the dweebs went to start it. Nothing happened.

"I told you, Mr. Black. There is an internal malfunction. It does not operate at all."

"The very first time you attempted this, did anything happen? Warming lights, unexpected noises, fuck I don't know, smoke?"

"Well, yes. It ran for about ten minutes before completely seizing. Since then nothing has happened." Fate stood off to the side, waving its arm like the nerdy student who had the answers to everything.

"Where's the fuel source?" I asked, wondering how our country survived at all with morons like these in charge of weapon delivery.

"Over there." The project manager replied, pointing to a pile of yellow canisters. "The fuel is not the problem. It is the same formulation we use for the other vehicles." His smugness and conceit caused my over exhausted mind to snap.

"You fucking idiot! Did all of you just hatch from eggs? Why the fuck do you think this shit comes with a manual? You do realize that shit should be used for more than just a decorative paper weight?"

"Mr. Black, that is highly uncalled for. The installation was not performed by us. Clearly, any fine details should have already been worked out before test runs."

"Look, Tim," I snarled, gaining a small amount of satisfaction as he flinched over the use of his first name, "There are no fine details that need to be taken into consideration. The only detail you should have taken into consideration was your fuel source, which is clearly defined in the manual on the first page." Grabbing his copy, I thrust it into his chest where he grabbed it with shaking hands.

"If you would be so kind as to open it up and read paragraph two to me, I think both of our problems will be solved." I watched as he flipped it open, cautiously reading the first page. The fucker's lips moved as he read it over three times before meeting my stare. Swallowing hard, he began to speak.

"I, uh, don't remember the octane ratio ever being discussed in our briefings. I will, of course, inform the warehouses and make sure clearer labels be presented before the merchandise is shipped." Had they bothered to read the fucking manual none of this would have been a problem. Using the wrong type of fuel here was just like putting diesel fuel in an unleaded car engine.

"Good day, Mr. Jackson. Please inform Mr. Harrison that my contract has been fulfilled. And next time? Try fucking reading before insisting I drop everything and come racing across the country to fix your illiteracy problems." Grabbing my own manuals, I strolled past weary looking guards. Witnessing the drama they all stood around shell shocked, not bothering for a pat down. Fate was at my side, giving them the bird. Getting clearance to leave the building, I flew back to the hotel making arrangements for a flight home. RtFM was not just some fancy urban slang.

Arriving at the airport with 45 minutes to spare, I wandered around looking for some type of souvenir I could take back for Bella. Finding a bookstore, I casually browsed the aisles waiting for something to jump out at me. It finally did on one of the last remaining shelves. I gave out a laugh worthy of Fate over my intended present as I paid for it and made my way to board the plane. The book was about the Salem witch trials but the deciding factor was the entire chapter devoted to the witches' familiars. I couldn't wait to insist on sitting on Bella's couch with her curled around me while I read aloud the different types of execution forced upon innocent people and their wretched pets, primarily cats. That little fucker would be pissing all over himself as I lovingly talked about his ancestors' demise.

Somewhere around thirty thousand feet, I realized I hadn't checked my phone. Pulling it out of my pocket, I frowned trying to remember why it was completely off and not just on silence. Pressing the switch, my eyes got bigger as I realized that there were thirteen missed calls, all but two from unknown numbers with a Seattle area code. The voice mail held seven messages. Punching in the access code, I listened to the automated operator tell me about my missed calls.

Message one, received at 1:45 a.m.:

"Jacob, it's Bella. I know you're busy, but please call me back as soon as possible." click

Message two, received at 2:37 a.m.:

"J, dude. It's Quil. Look man, I swear, it wasn't my fault. Call me back ASAP."click

Message three, received at 3:11a.m.:

"J, where the hell are you? Seriously, dude, I'm not fucking around. Call me." click

Message four, received at 4:19 a.m.:

"Fucking idiot!" click

Message five, received at 5:22 a.m.:

click

Message six, received at 5:57a.m.:

"I'm fucking going to sleep now, your ass better have one spec-fucking-tacular excuse." click

Message seven, received at 11:43a.m.:

"Fuck dude! What's the point of having a fucking cell if you're not going to answer that shit?"click

I didn't know if I should be scared or take solace in the fact that only the first message had been from Bella. Fingers trembling, I dialed her number. The phone rang four times before going to voice mail. I broke out into a sweat as I dialed the number from the last message. It was the number to my new apartment and I prayed that Quil would be there to answer it. He was and my fear tripled.

"J, fuck dude. I have been calling non-stop. Why the fuck didn't you answer?" His voice was accusing and the last thing I needed was to be questioned about my phone habits.

"Cut the shit, Quil! What's going on, where's Bella?"

"She was okay for a little bit. But, dude, I couldn't do anything. I was only allowed one phone call and I had to call a bondsman. She left before I could get out. She wouldn't talk to me, I tried to warn her but this is all your fault." My heart couldn't have dropped faster if the plane had suddenly nose dived to death. The words Bella and left in the same sentence were as blasphemes as Quil could get.

"What rancid shit are you saying? Get out of where? Go with who? What the fuck could be my fault? Where is Bella?"

"Vampires, dude. If you had fucking manned up and told her that shit, she would have waited for me." Fate threw in the V word simply to prove that they were all for the flame game.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Leeches? Where the hell was your ass?" I was talking louder than I should be. A flight attendant walked down the aisle to where I was sitting, telling me I would have to end my call if I couldn't control myself. Waving her away like an annoying fly, I gripped the phone tighter as if it would get me home closer or at least let me understand what I had missed out on.

"You are not listening to me, Jake. She left, willingly with a pair of leeches. I told her not to but she blew me off." He spoke slowly, enunciating each word like a teacher would for a spelling test. Fate was holding up some imaginary test with a dripping red F.

"Quil, I'm not fucking playing here. Fucking just tell me from the beginning where you were and how leeches became involved. But before you start, where is Bella and is she okay?"

"You still aren't listening. She was okay. But I went to her apartment and, dude, it reeks. There are at least two different leeches there. As far as I could tell, she was still alive. I mean I could hear her heart and shit but, dude, she wouldn't answer the door. I tried to get in but one of those fucking blood suckers opened the door and told me I had the wrong place."

"Why the fuck did she have to go with them? A bondsman? You fucking got arrested! I fucking warned you. I..." Abruptly the phone was jerked from my hand. Truly the man had to have balls of steel to antagonize a werewolf. A pissed off, ready to explode werewolf. The culprit, however, was a stocky middle aged man. He stood over me, holding my phone and glaring.

"Sir, if you cannot calm down, I will have to escort you to the back of the plane. If you insist on this type of behavior I will be forced to medicate you and the plane will make an emergency stop where you will then be transported to the nearest holding facility." _Fucking US Marshals._ Of all the random flights to place one it had to be mine. Fate, undoubtedly, bought the ticket for him. Taking a few deep breaths, I struggled with the urge to simply phase and watch everyone drop dead from a supernatural encounter six miles above ground.

"I'm sorry, Marshal. A family emergency has occurred. I forgot where I was." I tried to smile through the anxiety. I wondered if this was what people felt like after leaving the dentist with a mouth full of Novocain. I held out my hand for the phone, waiting to finish my conversation with my pack mate who would become a ghost in less than three hours. The marshal turned off the phone before pocketing it.

"You can't help a family member from here, Sir. Once we land, I'll give you the phone back." Was he nuts? There was a phone right in front of me, built into the seat. It wasn't like I couldn't continue this conversation. Once the imbecile sat back down, I would be calling Quil back. Fate whispered into his ear before he continued his debilitating conversation.

"The attendants will be turning off the seat phones. I suggest you use the time to calm down and think of a more sensible approach to your problems." He left and took a seat three rows behind me and across the way. Fate sat next to him, eating peanuts and pointing.

Landing was a bitch. The plane did twenty minutes of rotations waiting for clearance to land. I thought I was going to tap my foot through the floorboard, waiting to get out of here and in the privacy of my car where Quil could explain further about his downfall with my imprint. He had said she left with the blood suckers willing. Somehow they had both ended up in jail? I couldn't figure it out. Anything Quil did could cause police intervention, but Bella? The only thing I could come up with was Quil had pushed her too far and she had snapped. Maybe she had thrust him over the apartment balcony? Had there been any place large enough, I would have phased hopefully catching one of the others wolves to inquire and take care of Quil's prodigal failure.

By the time the Marshal deemed it safe for me to have my phone back, another hour had passed by. My speedy departure probably didn't help the government officer's decision to just let me leave. I was thankful I only had carry-on luggage. Even if I had checked a bag, I would have left it. Nearly running through the airport to the parking garage, I almost jumped over people and their crap as it stood as a barrier between me and the privacy I needed to yell at Quil. _What kind of moron travels with a dollhouse?_ I must have clipped it, rushing past, as a small child began screaming over their toy.

I didn't dwell on it any longer as I burst through the exit and made my way to the car. No sooner had I shut the door when the phone was pressed against my ear, listening to the ringing tone. But it wasn't Quil my fingers had dialed, it was Bella. It went to voice mail again and still having no idea what happened I left her a message.

"Bella, honey, where are you? I got your message a little while ago. I'm back home in Seattle. Please call me, I'm worried." Disconnecting the phone, I let it drop. Very shortly, I would be seeing Quil and get all of the answers I needed. First though, I had to see Bella. Quil was limited in his actions, but as Alpha I could do as I saw fit. It wasn't long before I parked in front of her building, barely remembering to take my keys as I exited the car. Sprinting up the stairwell, I was accosted by the putrid scent of immortal death. The closer I got to Bella's apartment the more cloying it became. The beating of my heart, coming nowhere close to the speed I used as I high tailed up the stairs.

Standing in front of her door, I could hear her own heart, its pattern so familiar to my own. It was after eight in the evening, as I rapped on the door quickly in succession waiting for a monster to attempt to deny me entrance. I was getting ready to knock again when the door flew open. Her features were faultless and graceful and if it wasn't for the grimy monster she was cuddling, it would have been perfect.

"Jacob!" She cried out. Her first reaction was happiness but then it slipped into a brutal hesitancy.

"Bella, are you okay? I tried calling but you didn't pick up." She didn't answer immediately; instead she took a small step around me to peer into the hallway. Whatever she was looking for wasn't nearby as she stepped back in and motioned for me to follow. Closing the door, I watched as she padded down the hallway back into the living room. Slowly, I followed behind, watching as she climbed back onto the couch and curling into a ball. She was dressed in sweats and had a blanket next to her. Little Orphan Evil huffed a few times before leaving. Not sure what to do with myself, I just kind of stood there with my hands in my pockets. I could strongly smell eternal death, but it wasn't harsh enough for one to be here in the apartment still.

"Bella, what happened?" I was trying to remain calm. She had at least let me in, but I had no doubt Fate was getting ready to hand over some throwing knives.

"Have you talked to Quil?" She asked, appearing awfully calm about whatever took place last night.

"No, I haven't even gone back to my place yet. Did he do something?" _Don't think it! Don't think it!_ I knew he had, bracing for Bella's conformation.

"I don't know. He was saying some crazy stuff, first at the restaurant and then later at the..."

"What happened?" I repeated, wondering if I should be asking for a recounting of horror she couldn't even speak of it. Ignoring me completely, she brought up another loathsome topic.

"Did you know my brother's a lawyer? I was kind of surprised they were in the area. The only reason I called him was to see if he had any contacts here he could get in touch with for me. I guess in the end it all worked out." Her words fell like a death sentence on me, as I waited for her to tell me to leave.

"Jacob, I'm really sorry. I just don't think I can be around Quil. Please don't be mad at me." Holding out her arms for a hug, I rushed forward as she clung to me. Up until this point she had sounded so robotic. Her need for physical comfort was the very least I could give her, and not nearly enough of what I wanted to. Almost collapsing, I struggled not to cry in relief that she still wanted me.

"Honey, I'm not mad. But I need to know what happened." Sitting down next to her, I pulled her into my lap where she folded up. Her voice became hoarse as she told me what she was capable of.

"Jacob. It was really embarrassing. Please, I just want to forget about it. Can you just, I don't know, can you talk to him about last night? I'm not angry, but I just don't want to think about it anymore."

"Whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy." Holding her tightly, I reassessed my plans. This is what she coveted and my own conclusions could wait. Fate left with the answers, burying them for a scavenger hunt yet to come.

Somehow we both fell asleep on the couch. My eyes peeled open as I listened to Bella's alarm clock ringing in the distance. It was early, maybe only an hour after dawn. I found myself sprawled out on her couch, with a sleeping Bella stretched out on top of me, her breaths a lullaby. The alarm shut off abruptly. Actually, it sounded like the demon had pushed it to its death off the nightstand. I could hear him dancing in glory, over his kill. Not wanting to wake her, but knowing she probably had to work, I ran my fingers over her temple a couple of times before speaking.

"Bella? What time do you have to be at work?" Sleepily she turned her head in the other direction on my chest before responding.

"I don't work today, it's my short week." Well, I think she said week at the end. Clearly she had said she didn't work but the rest was kind of jumbled as she fell back asleep. As long as she didn't need to go to work, it didn't matter. Closing my eyes, I let myself fall back into slumber. At no point did it occur to me that alarm clocks weren't always set just for work. Fate just hummed.


	12. Assualt with a Deadly Fate

**Assault with a Deadly Fate**

I'm not sure why I didn't wake up when Bella left the couch to start her day. It's not like she was heavy but one would think having a body crawl off of you would cause one to awaken. When I woke up, there was no Bella, there was however one angry looking demon. That sly bastard had managed to arrange himself on my chest, tail whipping furiously from side to side. His eyes were lethal as he came into focus. They quickly turned to shock when I jumped back, causing him to hit the floor.

"What the fuck do you want?" I was either half asleep or seriously losing it, talking to a cat. He just sat there waiting for something. Swinging my legs over the couch, I sat up trying to rub away my sleep. I could hear Bella in the kitchen making something. Stretching my arms wide above my head, I made to get up when I noticed the hairy hobbit had left and was coming back towards me with something in his mouth. I stilled my movements as he approached closer, stopping about ten feet away. Unceremoniously, he spat it out before walking off towards the kitchen. All I could do was stare at the object he had brought forward. At one point in the not too distant past, like 3 days ago, it had been a figurine of a wolf. Now it resembled an amputated dog. A leg was missing and the ears had been roughly grounded down. My apartment key was still on it.

"Fucker, just you wait, this means war." I whispered out. Vatan's laughter was my reply. Standing up, I walked over and grabbed the key ring. I left it on her entrance table before heading towards the kitchen. Bella saw me and smiled brightly as I came up behind her to give her a hug and a kiss.

"I made us some breakfast. I hope you're hungry." She pulled away from me to walk towards the oven.

"What did you make?" Taking in a deep whiff, I could make out something that smelled really pleasant and vaguely familiar.

"Raspberry surprise muffins. They're the best." _ Fo__r what? _With my full consent_, _my hunger backed away in fear.

"What's the surprise?" I asked, already feeling my stomach begin to revolt. _Was it too late to say I'm allergic to berries?_

"You'll just have to wait and see!" Using a butter knife, she flipped the muffins out of the pan and onto a plate. My nose followed the scent of untainted coffee. Making both of us a cup, I followed her to the table, trading her cup for a plate with a few muffins.

"Do you have any plans today?" I asked, eyeing my breakfast bereavement. People got paid to eat crazy shit all the time, I could do this. Fate was on standby with the bucket.

"Uh, no not really. Did you need to go see someone?" Happily she sat there, munching away at her food. Casting my eyes to the floor, I watched as the hairy hungry hippo pranced around, anxiously wanting some of the muffin. It didn't look like a good sign. I didn't want to ruin her mood, but I had to tell her.

"I think I should probably go talk to Quil and straighten out whatever his problem is." _Maybe I could feed the muffins to Vatan? No! No helping the enemy._

"I was kind of hoping we could just forget about it. Everything has been taken care of. Emmett assured me there won't be any problems." She replied. Taking a few pieces of her muffin, she placed them on a paper plate and walked over to Vatan's spot. Gleefully he launched himself into his chair and started consuming the surprise. Not thinking about it, I held my breath and shoving the muffin in my mouth mechanically chewed and swallowed. Drinking half of my coffee at once, I smiled at Bella before continuing.

"Honey, I don't want this hanging over our heads. I won't be gone too long but I really need to talk to Quil. Who's Emmett?"

"He's one of my brothers. Remember, the lawyer?" I really couldn't say if the tugging muffin in my stomach was from the ingredients or Bella's casual reference to vampires.

"Is he, are you going to see him soon?" Bella looked out the window before replying.

"It's dark enough, I'm sure the both of them will stop by to say goodbye before leaving." The coffee I had been lovingly finishing now covered half the table. Dropping the empty cup on the table I just stared.

"They're coming over? Here?" Fate started the funeral march over the implications.

"Well, yeah. I mean Rose and Em don't like the whole dramatic goodbyes at airports. It's usually just a quick hug goodbye and then they're gone." Bella got up to grab some paper towels. Taking them from her, I cleaned up my own mess.

"Do you want me to meet them?" What I wanted to say was 'my ass is not leaving your side until the monsters have vanished.' It sounded kind of harsh, though.

"Do you want to? That would be great. Maybe then they can convince Alice her feelings are wrong." She was so happy; I had to word my answer carefully.

"Of course I do, honey. What time do you expect them?" _I seriously hope she can't hear my teeth_ _grinding._ Vatan could, the evil monster. He was off in the corner laughing so hard he was rolling around on the ground. Either that or he was seizing from the muffin, but I didn't think I was that lucky.

Her cell started to ring, and if this morning could get any weirder, the ring tone pushed the limit. My jaw coordination stopped as some horrific rap song came across loud and clear. Bella started blushing as she jumped up to retrieve it, yelling at me as she disappeared to wherever the phone was.

"I didn't choose that song at all. Emmett did and now he won't give me the code to change it." The phone was silenced as she answered it, walking back into the dining area.

"Hi, Emmett." Bella was once again completely calm talking to death. I found myself with pieces of disintegrated berries and flour as I worked out my issues on unsuspecting muffins while listening to the exchange.

"Hi yourself, little one. Listen I'm gonna make this short. Rose thinks your fu-" I could hear the phone being yanked away from his ear and a small yelling match take place on his side of the phone. "What baby? That's what you said...All right, all right I'll say it nicely." Whoever his baby was gave him the phone back so he could continue talking to Bella.

"Sorry about that, sis. Anyway Rose and I are heading out and won't be stopping by. But if you are dating someone, maybe you should invite the family down to meet him or plan a trip and come home with him."

"Em, there is no way I would disrespect our parents by bringing home someone I am dating. That's, that's just, no. Maybe in a few months you guys can all come down and visit but not now okay?" This Emmett's loud laughter could be heard over the phone even for a normal human.

"Whatever, sis. Just be careful of things that go bump in the night. Bye"

"Bye, Em. Talk to you later." Smiling, she set the phone down and turned to me. I wanted to be happy over the lack of leeches but the bump in the night comment felt wrong. She explained what I had already heard and started cleaning the dishes. I towed her away to give her a passionate kiss. Once we were both breathless and panting, I pulled back.

"I won't be gone long, okay? When I get back we'll go do something, whatever you want." Nodding her head, she pulled me back down for another kiss and I forgot about everything else in the world. Hoisting her up on the counter, I trailed my lips down her neck and then slowly back up to her ear, nuzzling and licking. Whispers and moans emitted from both of us at the sensations. I could feel her hands alternating between grabbing my shoulders to pull me closer or running in an absent pattern over my chest. I was so intent on her moans, I didn't realize she was tugging at my shirt to lift it off. Stepping back to pull it off, I admired her flushed cheeks and flowing hair. She beckoned me closer with her small fingers and once again ran her hands over my bared chest.

Running my own hands under her shirt past her ribs and to her breasts, I wondered how I had missed that she hadn't been wearing a bra. Cupping one in each hand, I circled my thumbs around her nipples, feeling my own body harden as her nipples tufted into peaks. My tongue ached to trace them and I think I ripped her shirt in its removal. Finally free from barriers, her breasts begged to be licked and I complied, refusing to leave any area unexplored. Slowly I traced lines over each one making sure to pay equal attention to each temple. I could feel Bella tugging on my head as she moaned in pleasure, grinding herself against my waist. It wasn't until Bella's hand had unbuttoned my jeans, firmly grabbed my dick and began pumping in a slow rhythm that I realized we needed a better location. As I pulled my mouth away from her breast to look into her eyes, she bent and captured my lips.

"Not in the kitchen, Honey." I mumbled, wondering why the hell should it matter. Slowly she released me, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist in a death lock, never once slowing the movements of her tongue or lips on my flesh except to respond to my concern.

"The bedroom!" She demanded before once again assaulting my neck with her tongue.

Quickly, I made my way to our oasis, firmly shutting the door behind me before depositing her on the bed and taking a step back. Seductively she teased me arching her hips upwards as she tugged down her pants and tossed them aside, while I tried to remember how to kick off my shoes and pants to join her. Finally free of any clothing, I stalked her in an animalistic fashion, the wolf inside roaring in approval as the sexual appetite was about to be fulfilled.

Lustfully her eyes following me as muscles rippled and worked to bring me towards her. I was on the bed, her shiny wetness a beacon and as I crawled across the space, my lips capturing hers, my fingers stroking her mount. Gliding silkily over the area her legs trembled and widened begging for more contact as I teased her nether lips outlining the curves and her slit before delving deeper into the heat. Bucking her hips in need, I pressed my middle finger in deeply, my palm rubbing the needed friction against her clit. My other hand supported the back of her neck as we continued to kiss, nip and suck each other's lips and tongues. Spreading her legs even further apart she moaned wildly thrashing against the pleasurable onset of the slow tempo. She broke away from the kiss, nearly crying out in ecstasy.

"Condom, nightstand!" She panted sexily, as I released her neck reached over to the drawer positioned to the right of my head, more than happy to obey. Her cries grew more frantic as I continued to tease her with my fingers, bringing her closer to a release before pulling back and heightening the sensation all over again. Finding the condom I pulled it out of the drawer and scooted downwards positioning myself between her spanned legs. I had tasted this once before and it was a powerful aphrodisiac my body demanded. Lowering my head, I began lapping gently between her thighs, absorbing the intoxication only my Bella could provide me. Her body rewarded me, giving of itself and Bella's trills of praise and needing more fueled me on. Slow and languidly, I increased the sexual need until neither of us could wait any longer. I pulled back to get the condom on, rubbing myself against her clit, the warmth almost my undoing. Catching her passion filled gaze, her plea triggered the wolf to submit.

"Please, Jacob! I need you now!" My own need was just as great, the heaviness pulling at me. Slowly I entered her wanting body, feeling the tightness wrap around me pulling me in closer until I was fully seated. Capturing her face with my hands, I poured all of the love, need, want and desire into a scorching kiss. Rocking in and out slowly, her moans were what I used as pace, afraid that, if I let myself go, I could hurt her. In a dance that had evolved for a millennia, the connective pleasure was intense. Each of our muscles contracted and released in the tango of life. I was afraid to move faster or harder, the wolf within demanding and wanting control. Bella's own body sensed this and she pushed at me to roll us over until she was straddling me. Holding her hips, I thrust easily with each of her downward strokes, the motions becoming faster and controlled solely by her. Cry after cry of desire and need were meet with my own moans and panting. Her hair was wild, brushing against my abs as she leaned forward, pushing against my pecs as leverage to increase her motions. She was an ethereal goddess and I never wanted this to end.

It continued until I thought we would both burst into flames. She was so close, her motions becoming frenzied and I gave in and pushed harder sending us both over the edge of devotion. I growled out her name as I came, hard and deep inside of her. She screamed out my name as well, her body stiffening and quivering as wave after wave of orgasmic bliss overtook her. Collapsing on my chest, we were both struggling to regain control of our breathing. Wiping away a few curls from her forehead, I could feel her lips as she smiled before placing a small kiss near my heart.

"I love you." The words left on their own, all of my actions uncensored after the experience Bella had blessed me with. It wasn't because of the sex; the love had been there since day one. The sex was what had unleashed my need to hide my true feelings in what she meant to me. Shyly, she stared at me, searching for something in my face.

"I love you, too." She whispered, smiling lightly. It was more than enough for me. I had no doubt that in time she would want to yell it out as loudly as I needed to. Rolling us over on to our sides, I kissed her again before getting up to take care of the necessary cleanup. Less than a minute and I was crawling back into bed with her, pulling her close and relaxing. It wasn't long before we were both napping lightly caught in a euphoria we both desired.

The angry howling of a locked out Vatan brought us both awake an hour or so later. The dirty fucker was pissed, and I was inwardly gloating that there was nothing he could do to change it. Still relishing in our closeness, we got dressed, lovingly bestowing secret smiles and kisses. _Soon_. I told myself. Soon I would be able to tell her and claim her completely as it was meant to be. Kissing Bella goodbye once again, I reminded her of my promise to do something later and assured her I would be back quickly.

Like a silent assassin, I made my way towards my apartment. Had Quil been paying attention, he would have been able to hear my heart. As usual, he was far too engrossed in the cartoons he was watching on T.V. to notice. He did hear the key as I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The living room fell silent as the he turned off his programming, waiting for me to join him for our chat. I stopped in the doorway, not wanting my hands in strangling distance of Quil's neck.

"Fuck, dude! What the hell happened? Did you get arrested too?" I wanted to laugh at his concern since not thirty seconds ago he had been completely devoted to some monstrous purple dinosaur singing about love. I was still awing over this morning's turn of events and words seemed trivial.

"No." I stated, as Quil sat back, trying to determine my mood.

"Well, why are you just getting..." He stopped, breathing in deeply "Oh. How dead am I?" His look said it all. Bella's scent was all over me. Shrugging indifferently, I answered.

"You tell me. I left you with a simple task and somehow my imprint is so traumatized she can't even tell me what happened." The rage was returning, creeping up in an unwelcoming invitation. I kept trying to picture Bella and I in bed to will away the anger.

"So she's still alive?" His bluntness swept away every happy thought and feeling I had been holding tightly to.

"Yes." He was pushing, not liking my evenness.

"Well, then everything's good. You were with her, which means she's still talking to you. Actually that funky smell is on you again, so I'm guessing you guys made up or out or whatever-" I cut him off before his stupidity turned this into a massacre. If I didn't take full control over the dialogue, it would get ugly.

"Let's attempt this some other way. Yesterday at six o'clock, when I called Bella, where were you guys?" His next words only brought forth more points against him.

"We were in her car. You know, Jake, I don't think she realizes how efficient that thing is. I was trying to talk her into racking up some points by nailing a few sign posts, but she seems to think it would cause unnecessary damage to her car. Have you talked to her about that?"

"I don't care about the car, Quil. Where were you guys headed?" I felt like my mind was wavering, trying to find a balance on a tight rope. True to form, Fate shook the rope.

"Well your cupcake was showing me the city and pointing out places of interest. I probably should have told her what my interests were; she's really kind of boring. But I did promise you, so I kept my mouth shut. Hey, did you know there's a haunted underground city tour? That was one thing that might actually be kind of fun. I bet the other guys wouldn't mind bringing the girls up for a weekend to do that." Closing my eyes at the roller coaster of topics Quil was throwing at me, I gritted my teeth, speaking through a clenched jaw.

"Let's try again. Where, specifically, were you when the police were called?" The shaking in my body increased and I honestly thought Quil picked up on it. Fate simply handed him a different set of cue cards.

"In the kitchen of Kisaku."

"Why were you in the kitchen?"

"J, come on! You're getting off track here. Bella called the bloodsuckers for help. I don't think you're going to be able to convince her to trust us." I pushed past the topic of vampires, focusing only on Quil and his actions.

"Why were you arrested?" If reality held a color, it was clear. Clear as in invisible and no longer a part of me.

"It was a misunderstanding." Quil was whining and the objects and shapes around me vanished turning clear and disappearing.

"Of?" I asked. Somewhere in me, something whispered that everything of Quil was a misunderstanding. I realized it was Fate.

"Look, I wasn't trying to embarrass her. But, dude, we were talking about food and stuff and I said I really wanted some sushi and Bella offered to take me to her favorite restaurant. How could I turn down the invite? It was where she wanted to go; I didn't tell her to take me there." Fate vanished, leaving me in a void.

"Tell me you didn't, Quil? Tell me that you did not drag my unsuspecting imprint into a restaurant that you had no interest in, other than to find your new kitchen kelp delight?"

"Kelp? No, J, I'm pretty sure octopi don't eat kelp." I mentally snapped; there was no other word for it. The only thing that existed were my fists and Quil's face.

The repetitiveness of flesh meeting flesh outweighed everything else. Werewolves are strong and no doubt if I missed in any of my aims, I would create a new entrance to the apartment next door or underneath me. But our bodies also absorbed and Quil absorbed the force behind each and every hit.

This wasn't like the last time in the forest. Quil was not acting as a punching bag. I was too far gone and the basic biological response of fight or flight had kicked in. Maybe in a different location he might have tried to escape. Out in the woods our bodies would have phased and we would have looked like something found in national geographic; two wolves fighting in their natural habitat. But in a house, in this room, the humans resided. Sparring but at a more basic level of humanity, aggression. The combativeness was thick and I fed it like a cage fighter: To the death.

The strength never failed but the blood flowed freely, coating us and the surfaces around. I could see it and smell it and my will called for more. The wolf inside was gaining dominance, a reaction to its mate being hurt.

I thought I was still human but the wolf denied outside interaction as I pounded my fists against flesh designed for such an ambush. Quil wasn't willing to give up and my brain didn't even register the newcomers as I continued to pummel a now passive Quil.

Something took advantage of one less fighting body and I found myself pinned to the floor. Someone began waving something in front of my face and slowly my eyes lost the red haze of death as they picked up the movement and followed. The voices held no recognition at first as reality began to manifest within the void.

"Fuck! What the hell happened to them?"

"I don't know, Embry. Jacob, can you hear me? Are you lucid?" I was still fixed on the object in Embry's hand, watching as it slowed before he stopped all together still holding it as a focal point for me to see in case that was my only tie to sanity.

"Embry, hand me the card, then you and Paul slowly get off of him. Go stand by Quil in case another intervention is needed." I watched as Embry handed my connection to Sam, my eyes following the movement. I could feel the weight lifting off of me hesitantly. Sam grabbed my hand and placed the object in my palm, closing my finger around it before taking a few steps back.

"Jacob?" Sam asked, snapping his fingers a couple of times. "What happened here?" Slowly I sat up, taking in the room.

Separated by a wall of werewolves, Quil was still sprawled out on the ground, looking dizzy as Fate threw out little birdies to fly around his head. It dawned on me that it had been Sam's commanding tone that made Quil stand down. Paul was holding his now flattened nose as he manipulated the cartilage to sit in place to reform.

Had I chosen an apartment in a better part of town the cops would have already shown up. I doubt it would have mattered. Short of shooting at us, no normal human could have halted or even slowed our actions. As it was, it took three of my brethren to detain me and it hadn't been unscathed. Reality decided to accept me back fully as I processed what had just happened. The venom sprayed out in the form of words, my wolves recoiling in the potency.

"Take him back to La Push. He is not welcome here anymore, I want him gone." I was still lethal, trembling and fighting to hide the beast. The energy rolled off of me, as I sat there pointing at Quil.

"Jacob, calm down. Quil can come back home with us but what is happening? He called us last night saying that he thought you had been arrested and that there was vamp activity dealing with your imprint." Sam couldn't have known those few short sentences would strip me of any tact I might have possessed.

"Yes, there were blood suckers and his sorry ass was the cause of all of it. He thought it would be cute to take Bella out to dinner at a Sushi place and ask her how to properly fuck an octopus." All three of them turned away from me to look at a severely battered Quil.

"What the fuck is wrong..." Paul stopped, turning to stare at me. "What did you say? Tell me I misheard that?" All of us were trembling now. They couldn't understand the complexity of the situation and I wasn't patient enough to break down the details.

"Your hearing is fine, my hearing is fine, everybody fucking heard me correctly. That was the basis for him getting arrested and Bella somehow having to resort to the help of leeches to get out of jail from Quil's actions." None of them had ever witnessed such a rage from their Alpha. This fight had far surpassed the emotional council meeting we had all attended and the new wolves here were struggling to understand, restless over my demeanor.

"Why would Quil think..." I held up my hand for Embry to stop.

"Don't even fucking ask. The fact remains that Quil was instructed not to harm her and he has failed." Failing an Alpha task was equivalent to earning a dishonorable discharge from the military. Redemption was nearly futile and my wolves struggled with the concept of a failure. Their heads were bowed and in a sign of deference, Sam raised his slowly making hesitant but non challenging eye contact.

"Jacob, if the vampires are this close once again, we need to move. We can't challenge or fight them here in the city. Tell her, so we can all go home." His pleading did nothing to placate me.

"Sam, she's not just going to leave on the ramblings of a person she's known for less than a month. Had Quil not massively fucked up, I might have been able to push the issue. Now, I'm not so sure." Embry was next to speak, always respectful but still pleading.

"Jake, you're always going to have doubts. For better or worse, you need to tell her." The tones were permissive but grating and I found myself gravitating back towards the unhealthy red haze of destruction.

"That idea would definitely be a 'for worse'. I will not be rushed on this. Fate didn't make me wait this long simply to jump in without looking. When the time is right, I will tell her. Not. Until. Then." Each word was meant to be as a stab of understanding.

"Look, Jake, I know she's your imprint. But in trying to do what is right, this whole thing will end up wrong." Paul's words yanked on the control I was trying to maintain. Viciously smacking my hands to the ground, I jumped up towering over all of them.

"Enough! I am your Alpha and you will obey me. I don't have to report to you, I do so as a courtesy. If you can't reciprocate, step away. Bella and I will be returning to La Push, but it will be on her schedule, not yours. Return home and protect ours. I no longer require assistance in protecting what is mine alone." There was no choice for them and for once I didn't feel bad. Fate made sure the feeling wouldn't last.

They went to remove Quil, Sam grabbing him under his arms and Paul picking up his feet. It would be several days before Quil would be able to regain full mobility. Had he chosen not to fight back, I would have unknowingly killed him.

"Look, dude, I'll go home and gladly but you're wrong." I turned my back on him, a silent show of disapproval to his statement. All of them left, the silence a welcoming tomb for my thought. Sinking down into a chair, I stared at my hands. The red liquid was drying, crusting into ugly brown patches. It sickened me that I resorted to such a punishment.

Getting up I went to take a shower, erasing the evidence of a civil war. This wasn't me and I found myself envisioning what Bella would make of such a reaction. Fitting so completely with me, making me happy in everything and somehow I turned into a blood lusting beast to protect it. Cleaning up the living room, I went to my room packing up my personal things. I never wanted to come back here, to this apartment, where everything I thought I had stood for had fallen. Locking the door I headed to my car, praying I could make Bella happy enough to want to keep me. Without her, I wasn't sure I belonged anywhere else.

I could smell them, the second I stepped out of the car. Madly I dashed upstairs hoping I wasn't too late. I had grabbed her spare key from my place and I used it to open the door. The place was silent and eerie. If Bella was here her heart wasn't beating. I couldn't smell any blood but then if she had served as a snack, there wouldn't be any left. I searched every room thoroughly hoping for a clue as to where she was and praying it wasn't here. Approaching the shrine, I stopped. I could hear the furry one in there, but no one else. Would the vamps have left her there? Would I be forced to comfort Vatan as we both broke down over Bella's body? Pushing open the door, I searched the foliage for any signs of a struggle. The only thing amiss was the demon sunning himself in bed. Cocking his head in my direction, one eye slivered open, he took in my appearance then rolled over to ignore me.

Reaching for my phone, I called Bella. The phone went straight to voice mail, not even ringing. There was no point in leaving a message. If it was off she wouldn't even know to check it, if she was still...I had to stop thinking like that. I hadn't found any signs of a struggle; wherever Bella went it was willingly. I checked my own phone, but I knew there weren't any messages. I couldn't live like this, constantly knowing she had a direct line to vampires that visited her. Sooner or later they would slip and Bella would be forever gone.

Sinking to the ground, I sat there listening to Vatan's obnoxious breathing and thinking about my brothers. Was I making this more difficult than it should be? For the most part, my actions dealing directly with Bella had felt right. None of them had to deal with the tarnished side of the coin. An imprint was not required to stay with a wolf. I could easily lay it all out for her and then be left with nothing as she walked away. Quil had suggested kidnapping her, and while I was physically capable of it, it would mean an automatic death sentence for our relationship. If Bella had been tribal, she might be slightly perturbed and being taken but once told about the vampires, the situation would leave her feeling indebted to me finding her and saving her from a certain death. Without being raised in that culture, there was no way to predict how she would feel.

This day had started somewhat peacefully, went straight to heavenly bliss, then plummeted me into a hell of my own creation. Why hadn't I listened to Bella? She had forgiven Quil, I should have ignored it. Had I just called and told him to leave, Bella and I could still be in bed. A place where only excitement and happiness were allowed. Curling into a ball on the ground, my mind wandered over every action and reaction that had taken place since I found her. The bottom line: I couldn't have changed anything or what I still had wouldn't be. The darkened day merged into night and my heart shrunk smaller and smaller with each passing hour.

My ears pricked to the sudden change in noise. Bella was here, I could identify her heart as it approached the apartment, the jingling of her keys as she unlocked the door. The gratitude flooded my soul that I still had her, she wasn't dead. I stood up and left Valice in his wonderland making my way out into the living room. The breeze that accompanied the door froze me in my spot: Blood!


	13. Fatey Kruger

Lick It! Slam It! Suck It! There be a lemon!

Fatey Krueger

There was a heavy aroma of blood and vividly the scent said Bella. My approach would have seemed like a teleportation trick to anyone watching. One nano second I had been in the living room, the next I was standing by the front door where Bella was trying to unsuccessfully remove the keys from the lock.

I didn't mean to surprise her, forgetting to announce myself, but whatever wound she had sustained needed to be determined and dealt with.

"Jacob!" She cried out as I picked her up. I was supposed to be finding her injury but my eyes couldn't move past her face. Her eyes were framed in bright red, attesting to some serious tears. Like the kind of tears authors get when their faithful followers fail to leave a review.

"Oh my god! Honey, what happened, why were you crying?" Yanking her keys out of the lock, I slammed the door shut, still looking only into her eyes which started to tear up.

"He was too far gone, we couldn't save him." Her words caused my heart to begin hammering away.

"Who was too far gone?" My voice was quivering as much as hers and I had to force my eyes downward to take in the rest of her appearance. Both of her arms were heavily bandaged, the clothes she was wearing not her own. My own sorrow evaporated as a new despair replaced it.

"Who did this to you?" I whispered in agony as Bella started to squirm.

"Jacob, please put me down." Slowly, I lowered her feet to the ground, leaving my arms wrapped loosely around her waist. I couldn't let her go. I needed her to share the pain with me, let me help remove it. She kind of hiccupped and sighed at the same time before answering me.

"It's not that bad. The police raided a house that was conducting dog fights. They dropped off twelve animals at work and Mary called and asked if I could give Dr. Whitmoore a hand."

"And?" I asked, struggling to understand and help without having to be asked. She was my imprint; I should have already anticipated her need for my comprehension.

"And with animals like that, the outcome is bad. We had to put most of them to sleep." Bella was choking over her words, more tears falling.

"Bella, I'm not trying to be dense here. But why are you wearing someone else's clothes and have your arms covered in gauze?" Fate was putting on fatigues, planning the reconnaissance mission to end all. There wasn't a better tracker alive than a werewolf and I was a master of my trade.

"Someone forgot to tag him. I didn't realize he was so unstable and required more than one handler. The tech assisting me was called away. The dog broke through the muzzle, Jacob. Before I could partially sedate him, he chewed it right off and attacked." Her voice was so jagged and I felt like I was falling into a void. A dog had done this to her! She was attacked by a dog and I was supposed to be coming up with a plan to introduce werewolves into her life. More importantly, she had been hurt and didn't feel connected enough to contact me. I gripped onto the thought, my lifeline in the void.

"Why didn't you call me, honey? I would have come to pick you up. Did you forget your phone? I've been calling for awhile now, not knowing where you were."

"It happened so fast, Jacob. There was a lot of..." She gulped audibly before continuing "it was chaotic. I'm not sure what happened to my phone. Didn't you get my note? I left it in the living room." Her compassion to my despair allowed my own to return. To show her I wasn't angry at a false brush off.

"Trust me, there were no notes, I looked." Both of our eyes jerked to the hallway before I could continue my explanation. Vatan came out of the corridor, dribbling in front of him a crumpled up piece of paper. He batted it past us before stopping, turning around and staring expectantly at Bella. She turned back to me.

"Jacob, I'm so sorry. I didn't think he would bother it on the coffee table." Out of the corner of my eye I watched as he stuck his tongue out at me before closing his mouth and rubbing provocatively in between her calves. My arms still wrapped protectively around her she continued.

"I knew you were talking to Quil and...Jacob! Are you okay? Is that a bruise on your cheek?" Her hands reached up to lightly stroke my face. The woman had been mauled and she was worried about a few shadows on my face?

"It's nothing, honey. We had a small disagreement. Everything is fine." I tried to smile to show everything was okay. Dropping her hands from my cheeks to rest on my forearms, she continued to study me for awhile before speaking.

"Jacob?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to go take a shower and maybe lie down for a bit. I'm kind of tired."

"Of course, I'm sorry. Did you, uh, want me to leave?" _Please, no. Please, no._

"Well, no." _Oh __thank you, Jesus._ "But you might be kind of bored. Are you sure you want to stay?"

"Absolutely." Boredom was definitely not something I would ever be with her.

Once again trailing behind, I followed her to the bedroom where she pulled out some clothes then headed into the bathroom. Sitting on the bed, I contemplated what I could do to make this better. The gasp that traveled underneath the bathroom door had me next to it, tapping on the wooden frame.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just...could you help me for a minute?" Opening the door, I peered inside. Opening it more fully, I stepped in and closed the door, trapping the heat inside from the running water. She looked embarrassed and I was more than ready to drop to my knees and tell her I was her slave for life.

"I'm having trouble bending my arms to get the shirt off. Could you maybe lift it for me?" Turning in the other direction, Bella presented her back to me and painfully lifted her arms above her head. Grabbing the hem, I tugged it up and off, discarding it in a corner. Without hesitation, I unclasped her bra then took a step back, waiting for her next cue. Both of us were just standing there, not making any movements. _I guess it's my turn._

"I'll be right outside if you need any more help." I was backing away when she turned to face me.

"Thank you." She exhaled softly in one breath, as I froze mid-motion.

It wasn't her tone or words that stopped me. It was the ugly, red gouges covering her abdomen that traveled past the waist of the scrubs she was wearing. I gasped and grabbed the wall to support myself. How much more damage had she suffered?

"Bella, did you get those looked at?" I couldn't stop staring at the lacerations all over her body. Most weren't actively bleeding, but it wasn't pretty.

"Jacob, it's fine. I told you, it happened really quickly. It burns a little, but I'll be okay." I wanted to groan at her logic. Nothing about this was okay and it was far from fine. Keeping my voice low and compassionate, I hinted for her to understand.

"How do you plan on showering with all of those bandages? And should you even be bending over with those injuries?"

"I'm just going to sit in the tub. I don't need to move too much to do that." She was so damn independent, I wanted to scream. I wasn't going to let this drop. Bella would have to actually tell me no or demand I leave, to change my course of action.

"What if you slip? You're going to be concentrating on not getting your arms wet that your reflexes will be slower. Turn around."

"What?"

"Just turn around, please. Let me help you." She complied, dropping her bra and waiting for me. With her back to me again, I gently pulled down the bottoms she was wearing. Holding my arm out for her to grip in support, she lifted her feet for me to pull away the cloth and throw them with the other discarded items. Placing my hands on her waist just above her hips, I pressed lightly.

"Tell me if I hurt you." I softly pleaded, praying that I wouldn't.

As quickly as I could, I picked her up and placed her standing in the tub. Reaching around her, I turned the water off and grabbed some soap and a sponge. Attempting to be proficient while not sexual, I started washing from her shoulders downwards. I didn't linger at all and using my hands, I cupped the water to wash away the soap. When I was finished, I pulled out the stopper and in the same fashion removed Bella from the tub. Grabbing a towel, I gently patted her down trying not to chafe her already sensitive skin. I looked up at her, to find her silently crying.

"Did I hurt you?" Panicking, I searched her body to see if any of the wounds had opened. Not finding any, I looked back up at her face. She shook her head before speaking.

"It just...it burns and I don't think putting on clothes will help with the pain. I don't want you to think I'm trying to tease you or anything..."

"Shh, honey. Don't be silly. I'm here for you, to help you anyway you need. Don't worry about anything like that, just let me take care of you. Did the doctor give you anything for the pain?"

"Yes, but I'm not suppose to take it if I'm by myself. I don't want you to feel like you have to stay here." Blinking back my own tears at her declaration of painful independence, I made my opinion simplistic.

"Please, just let me do this for you." Bella just stared at me, a mix of emotions crossing her face. Finally settling on exhaustion, she gave me a tired smile.

"Okay. Thank you." She was whispering again and it occurred to me that it was due to overstressed vocal chords. I didn't want to think of how long she had been screaming during and after her attack.

Walking directly behind her, my hands hovered over her hips in case she collapsed. She was allowing me to help her, but I had to choose my battles carefully. Demanding her to fully abide by what I wanted was not going to work. Spending the next ten minutes watching her attempt to crawl into the bed and get comfortable was a new level of torture I never wanted to witness again. I sprinted down the hall to get her medication and a glass of water, not wanting her to change her mind about the helping thing.

Thirty minutes later and Bella was in a heavily drugged induced sleep. My level of pain had not dissipated at all, staring at her prone, torn body. Making sure her front door was locked, I returned to our bedroom. Shedding my clothes, I crawled in next to her, still staring. Without touching her, I traced my fingers over the mangled criss-crosses over her torso. Giving up on the doldrums of hardships, I laid down on my stomach, as close to her as I dared. It wasn't long before she shifted towards my body heat, draping her left arm across my back. Sleep finally came and I welcomed it, knowing that she was still mine.

Two weeks went by and I had unofficially moved in with Bella. The first week had been rough, watching her struggle with the pain of her attack. It boggled me that despite her patient turning on her, she wanted to get back into the swing of things at her job. I was grateful that until the bandages came off, she was required to stay on medical leave.

Making a necessary grocery run for us, I came back to a silent apartment. I could hear the two different heart beats I had memorized; one, out of love the other, out of loathing. I had just finished putting away the last staple when I heard Bella call out for me. Her voice was in no way distressed but it didn't stop me from rushing to our room where the door was only partially closed. Vatan was off in his lost world torturing a corn plant for some type of information. Walking into the room I found my goddess laid out bare on the bed. She hadn't worn much during the healing and I was all for the freedom act of clothing. I paused at the base of the bed, watching. Her eyes were closed and I didn't want to disturb her if she had fallen back into a restless nap. Slowly she opened her eyes, a beautiful smile overtaking her face.

"Jacob, can you please come here? I need something." She patted the side of the bed and without hesitation I was there.

"What is it, sweetie? What can I get you?" Lifting her arms she moved to pull herself up. I leaned over to offer my support and she held on allowing me to pull her up where she flipped her legs so she was kneeling in front of me on the mattress. Her fingers danced up my arms to my shoulders where she tugged me forward to whisper in my ear.

"I need you..." She blew softly into my ear before her tongue began tracing it while she recited exactly what she needed. "To stripe out of your clothes and make me feel good." Her hands trailed down my chest in a southward direction. Connecting with the button of my jeans she flicked it open, not even hesitating as she slowed down the zipper before rubbing my willing erection.

"What about your injuries?" I tried to sound logical, but somehow my moan ruined the effect.

"What about them? You can do all of the work if you want to." She fell back onto the mattress with a soft splash where she raised her arms above her head, her legs dangling over the side of the bed. Clenching my teeth tightly, I fought with the arousal over her submissive position.

"Honey, I don't think this is a good idea." We had not been intimate for the past two weeks and my mind was screaming to hold my ground. Her arms were still bandaged from the attack and that alone was reason enough for restraint. My actions betrayed my thoughts as I ran my hands over and around her upper thighs allowing my thumbs to strain inwards to tease her. My body attempted to overtake my logic.

One of her hands came back down to rest on top of mine, pressing forcefully as my thumb came in contact with her sweet spot. She was so slick and ready, practically begging me to take her. I wanted nothing more than to caress her over and over, harder and harder until she orgasmed from my touch.

"Jacob." Her voice was a suggestive purr of desire to me and I thought I would explode just at the sound of her unspoken consent. "You promised you would take care of me." She raised her feet to my hips, pushing down my jeans and boxers. My mind was telling me to stop; this might hurt her but my body told me just how stupid that was. Spreading herself in a wide V she sat upwards, pushing her hips into my traitorous fingers. Sitting up completely she moaned as I pressed forward. She captured the tip of me with her lips, licking and sucking like I was her favorite lollipop. Deeper she worked me into her mouth, as my fingers worked more quickly. I wasn't going to last very long at this rate and Bella had said she needed me to make her feel better not vice versa.

Using one hand to stroke me, the other cupping and teasing me, she bobbed her head back and forth. Taking a single finger I pushed inside of her, feeling the motion like I would if we were joined at the hips. My other hand feathered over her breasts, teasing her nipples the same way I was with her clit. In and out we moved, both of us panting and whimpering over the sensations. I wanted to make this last but she was becoming more and more aroused, the wetness pooling out of her, drowning my fingers and drenching my hand. Both of us were close to release and her heady nectar was calling to me. Switching hands, I plunged two fingers into her and her body started trembling as she reached her climax. Increasing the tempo, I felt her body spasm in the sweetest of undoing. Bringing my coated fingers up to my mouth, I tasted her rocketing to my own release. She drank me down repeatedly each swipe of her tongue, each swallow exciting me more. By the time she pulled back, I was ready for round two.

"Bella!" I asked, begged, loved and thanked all in one word. Lying down on her back once more, she interpreted my desire and asked me from her own.

"Can you please take care of me some more?" Her eyes were shiny and happy, her body vibrating for my response.

"Oh, yes," I affirmed. Straddling over her malleable form, I pulled her into the middle of the bed for an afternoon of memorable encores. _Everyday shoul__d start, continue and finish this way._

_

* * *

_

The time to remove the coverings from her arms permanently had arrived. For whatever reason, she had a general dislike for medical settings. Bella asked if I would mind going with her, afraid to witness the final outcome to her flesh. Practically holding her in my lap, the doctor unwound the gauze. Bella's eyes were firmly closed, afraid of what lay underneath. The release of my breath allowed her to slowly open her eyes one millimeter at a time. With just the barest traces of a few pink lines, her arms were fine.

I ended up giving Bella the book I had brought back from Massachusetts when we returned from the doctor's office. Bella loved it and I took it as a good sign, witches were one link closer to werewolves in the realm of mythology. Partially lying on the couch, she sat in between my legs with the book in front of us. We took turns reading out loud various passages while Satan Sylvester sat at our feet, not suspecting a thing. I had been reading for about fifteen minutes when I realized Bella must have fallen asleep.

"Bella? Honey, are you still awake?" I asked using the same tone I had been while reading. She didn't even stir as I smiled hugely and continued reading out loud for a few more minutes.

"Chapter Eight: Witches' Familiars. They came in many varieties but none more known than that of awful fleabag ridden douche bags referred to as cats." Vatan's eyes snapped open and he looked at me as I continued to read aloud, slightly readjusting the text so that he might better understand.

"These horrific nightmares had every reason to be tortured and plucked from the innocent people that they condemned to death. Their furry hides were nothing but evil, especially huge fat fucked up colored ones named after painters." I had his full attention now. His tail which had been twitching slowly was whipping widely back and forth, his muscles tense as he poured out all of his venomous hatred into the glare of death. I was on a roll.

"Their games were well known and sadly people fell under the spell of these wicked beasts. People who knew better would find themselves thinking the creatures cuddly, cute, or even Grand. But the holy terrors were easily spotted and identified by the targeted mate's smarter werewolf boyfriend who couldn't be controlled by such wiles." I watched in joy as Vatan tensed even more. He stood up and then lowered himself into a crouch, his tail moving so quickly it reminded me of a speed boat propeller.

"And the super smart werewolf boyfriends removed these vile creatures from harming lovely maidens named Bella. Picking up the grotesquely disfigured monsters, the werewolf sent him to the Island of Dogs to be tortured until Hell reclaimed him." Hissing furiously Vatan sprang from the couch. I watched as his tail propelled him towards his bunker. Before completely out of sight I gave him some more great news.

"And next time, I'll read about what happened to the Fate's evil minion when the werewolf found him chewing up objects of affection he lovingly gave to his fair maiden, Bella." I couldn't stop the rumbling laughter from my chest as I listened to him take out his frustrations on his jungle gym.

Bella woke up during my laughter, stretching luxuriously across my chest before turning her head to smile up at me. Kissing her sweetly in greeting, I closed the book and set it aside for another bedtime battle with Vatan at a later date. Picking her up, I carried Bella to our room, where we spent the next two hours graciously making love. I had left the bedroom door open purposely to torture his ears. Before falling into a sexually exhaustive sleep, I smiled hugely while listening to Bella's soft echolocation of contented murmurs and Vatan's grass removing rage.

Feeling Bella hastily climb out of bed, I realized it was morning. My eyes were barely open as I watched her grab a robe before slipping out of the bedroom. Closing them again, I stretched out fully, feeling all of my muscles protest at the intrusion of being forced from relaxation to rousing. Bella's cry of dismay had me following her sounds, worried as to what could cause it. Fate handed me my consolation prize.

"Van, how could you? You know better than that." Stepping into the hallway, I located Bella leaning over the animated Halloween reject. She heard my steps I had purposely made and turned to me with a look of apology.

"Jacob, I am so sorry. I'll clean them for you, I promise. If you want, I can pay you for them or buy you a new pair." My eyes left her, going to the floor where Vatan was standing not six inches from my shoes. Shoes that now looked like the Jolly Green Giant had retched in.

"I don't know what has gotten into him. He must have eaten too many of his plants last night. He hasn't done this since he was a kitten. I know I fed him last night..." Bella trailed off, lost in thoughts as to why her anti-vegetarian had behaved so. My eyes fell to him and he snickered at my look.

That evil fucker had gorged himself on purpose and then in an act of kitty bulimia sought out my shoes for retribution. I shrugged the loss of the shoes off. I may have lost this battle but the war was far from over.

"Don't worry about it, honey. He probably just got over excited." Lowering my voice, like I was worried he shouldn't hear me, I continued. "Later we should go get him some of that hairball ointment. I'm sure that will make him feel better."

I didn't have a clue as to whether that might even be needed but I knew he hated the shit. I had watched Bella apply it to his paws a few times before locking him up in the bathroom. The first time she had done it, I wondered over the reasoning. An hour later, I understood completely. Vatan had attempted to flick it off and by the looks of the bathroom I would say he had been successful. The entire area was covered with brown goo, oozing all over the place. Fairy sized diarrhea coated the tub, the shower curtain, the sink, not an object was left untouched. It was gross.

Vatan knew what I was referring too and his smirk turned to a glare as I continued with my salt wound, while Bella attempted to clean up his folly.

"Come on, baby. It's still early, let's go back to bed."

"I'm not really tired anymore." Bella replied. Catching her as she walked back from throwing away the mess, I tugged on sash of the robe letting it fall open. Caressing her exposed flesh, I leaned down to suggest my proposal.

"Sleep is the last thing on my mind." Sighing happily as I nuzzled her neck, she led my all too willing body back to bed. Vatan was left to stew while listening to another hour of human exhilaration.

Bella's passion was an endless abyss to match my own. As the weeks flew by, I realized how content the both of us were. Not just in the bedroom, although at times I wondered again about buying Trojan stock. Not a week went by that I didn't purchase more condoms for my favorite nightstand drawer. Bella was passionate about a lot of things in life and every day I would learn something new about her placing me further in love. A couple of times a week, we would go out to dinner or a show. We explored the city together, Bella showing me her favorite places. Any new place we went, embedded memories of us as a couple. We spent another afternoon at the market place, looking for the otters we had watched before. I made a point to surprise her once a week at work, bringing her lunch and enjoying a few minutes of togetherness in our schedules.

The only flaw I couldn't ignore was the constant phone calls from home. The council was concerned of my progress and how much more time I might need. Another rogue parasite had been detected and hunted. My pack was strong; they didn't need me to coach them. But as a leader, it was my duty to guide them. I didn't have to give too many details to my father on the imprint progress. He could hear the happiness and love radiate from my voice as I outlined my life here with Bella. Progression was being made and that was all they: the pack, council and my father, could ask for.

Fate hovered in the shadows; small incidents where I could feel its fingers tickle unpleasantly upon me. But when you wear a blindfold for so long, the bright harshness of reality is like a punch in the face. Only Fate could have plotted such carelessness on my part as I discovered three months later.

Sitting down to dinner, I noticed an occasional frown from Bella. Her nervousness kicked in a few minutes later and the feeling of fear began creeping up my spine. Vatan was as in tuned as I and it didn't help my situation at all. I watched for the sixth time as he stomped into the room, staring at Bella, glaring at me then leaving. The cat clock of doom would reappear a minute later to repeat the performance. I had been working on a 'How to tell your soul mate she's in love with a werewolf: For dummies' manual, and I had planned on using tonight to introduce the subject. Fate threw it away to hand over 'An idiots guide to reality.' Conveniently highlighting the 'for dummies' part of the title.

"Jacob?" Sighing heavily she rushed onwards "I went to a meeting at work today. The budget has been slashed severely. In two weeks, I'll be out of a job." I started to tell her how great that was, but she cut me off before I could add my stupidity.

"My lease is up next month and I'm not sure if I'm going to renew it. I think...I might be returning home for awhile until I can send out some résumés and reprioritize my life."

"What about us?" My mind was paralyzed; the words, feeling and emotions of want and need frozen in my mouth. How had we gotten here and where was this coming from? Fate grinned, handing me a Jim Jones Kool-Aid cocktail.

"What about us? I love you, Jacob, with all of my heart. But for the past couple of months you have incorporated yourself into my life. You have made me happier than I could ever imagine but I feel like you are hiding something. Your family and friends that you grew up with and still talk to, live only a few hours away. Yet, never have you hinted that you wanted me to be a part of that, of your life before me." In a ten second speech, the daggers of Fate stripped away everything I thought we had built together.

"Sweetheart, please stop!" Nearly crushing Vatan with my chair, I hurried to her side, grabbing her trembling hands.

"Honey, you are my pride and joy. I don't want to hide anything from you. I'm sorry my actions have left you feeling less than loved and appreciated and honored. Life has been a little hectic and after the mishap with Quil," I stuttered, my pack's past warnings striking the clock of acceptance I felt was needed. I pleaded for an acceptance only Bella could give me.

"I wanted you to understand how much you meant to me. I wanted you to be completely comfortable with me before meeting my family. I never meant to push you away or make you think I don't love you. I do! I do love you. Please don't leave."

"I don't want to leave. But what am I going to do? I have some savings, but what if I can't find another job? I don't want to work for a private practice; I need to find a more worthy cause to earn a living at. What am I going to do?" Bella wasn't asking me, but I gave the answer praying it was correct.

"Honey, I make more than enough to support us both. Take some time off, explore different options. I don't care if you ever go back to work, just stay with me."

"Jacob, that won't work. We both have apartments here. I won't be indebted to you for a hiatus I can't control." She was speaking firmly and any and every idea I had came rushing out.

"How about this? What if we take a few days or so and go visit my house in La Push? I can introduce you to everyone. If you want to, we can keep this place. Or if you like, you can move in with me. Here or even La Push. Start over somewhere fresh. You don't have to answer now, but let's at least go away for a few days and check out the area." Pausing to take a breath, I slowed my speech in hopes that she could really listen to what I was saying.

"Please, baby, please. Just give it a chance. Whatever you want but don't just leave without trying." I was cupping her face, her cheeks pressed against my palms as she argued with herself before caving.

"Alright. Just don't hurt me please. If I'm just a side project to amuse you, tell me now. I love you and don't think I could handle it if you just suddenly left me. I need to know now before there is no turning back." I don't remember picking her up but somehow we were on the floor. Both of us had tears and I cocooned her in my lap, promising her the world.

"Bella, I swear to you. You are and will always be the one for me. I will stay with you forever. You are the only one I have ever loved." Her acceptance was bittersweet. I had somehow caused unnecessary grief and almost lost the only thing that mattered to me. My protectiveness had turned against me and I vowed to spend every minute making it up to my Bella.

Going to bed that night, I had never slept so fitfully. Every time I slipped into sleep, I was haunted by a mocking Fate, a mocking Vatan and an absent Bella. Waking up every hour from torturous scenes, I would reach out to tug Bella closer to me, needing the reassurance of her presence. Somewhere around three a.m., I gave up completely and simply picked her up and draped her across my chest. Bella barely stirred at all through my musings. Giving out a small puff of breathe, she snuggled her head underneath my chin. With my arms securely around her like a cherished teddy bear, I finally fell into an uninterrupted sleep. Fate was contained for now, but that had never stopped it before from plotting.

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Disclaimer: Vatan ^..^ and Fate are all mine (or I'm theirs). Quil's psychological problems and the rest belong to SM (duh!)


	14. Mary Fate's Last Dance

Thank You my lovely reviewers for your support and laughter with my story :D

Kudos to the one and only Beta: Blueboarderchick.

Damn, you guys are pushy for some vampire and werewolf unveiling. I promise the show will come but for now enjoy the human wolf. He's the sexy one, in case you forgot ;p

WARNING: People, I must say. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, one of my favorites by far. I beg and plead with you: DO NOT eat, drink or consume anything while reading it. Failure to comply may result in unnecessary choking due to attempting to laugh (or gag). Proceed with caution.

I neither condemn nor condone, I just write :D

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We made our plans and I called my father to tell him the good news. He assured me he would pass it along to the pack and council. The entire conversation should have been heartedly accepted, but I was not going to throw Bella to the wolves as soon as we crossed over onto our land. Dad compromised by suggesting letting Bella meet some of them before unleashing the secret. By having a few of the older couples over, the wolves could become familiar with my mate's scent and judge how accepting she might be to the news yet to come. I wasn't in total agreement, but maybe having a few less people gawking at her during the announcement might help ease the tension. The ones to meet her the first night would help settle the rest for the grand unfolding. I asked Dad if he would mind stocking the house with food and supplies for at least a week, which he agreed to willingly.

For the sake of the pack, I coerced myself to forgive Quil. Sam had forced the whole ordeal out of him and after regaining control over his laughter, gave me a call. No one could change Quil, that was just who he was. Short of banishment, annulments didn't exist amongst werewolves. A civil war in the pack was unheard of and, with Bella's family problems, everyone was needed. It had taken three days for me to forgive him and everyone sighed with huge relief.

I thought I was becoming paranoid, but it seemed like wherever we went there was the slight tinge of leeches. I found myself always at Bella's side constantly on the look out for the source. I could have tracked it, but I didn't want to leave her alone. At first I thought it might be her family. The idea didn't fit however since Bella talked to them quite frequently on the phone. I could hear the conversations and they were relentless. Bella hedged around the questions of her being in a relationship. She told them she was seeing someone and was happy but left it at that. The little one from the airport pursued endless inquires of a more personal nature. Bella simply turned pink and asked her to drop it.

Thursday afternoon, two weeks after my relationship with Bella had nearly self destructed, I found myself returning from a last minute errand for her while she got ready for our trip to La Push. I had been unintentionally groveling the past couple of weeks, trying to make Bella see how much I loved her and how perfect we were meant to be. She took it all in stride and at one point grabbed my cheeks to tell me she loved me as much as I did her. She never doubted the love; she just didn't want any secrets between us. Vatan's unleashed fury towards a belt of mine only attested to how great that night had turned out. As I approached the door to our apartment, I could hear Bella yelling.

"So help me god, if you don't move right now..." The only scents I could detect were human and my mind ran to the worst possible scenarios; a burglar, a druggie, some mass murderer threatening my Bella enough to cause her to lash out verbally in such an outrage.

Simply twisting the knob and throwing the door open I didn't care if I ripped out the dead-bolt. I was only slightly thankful the front door was unlocked. The door could be replaced, Bella couldn't. Previous hindsight should have taught me to stop and listen before making any type of assumptions where Bella was concerned. I stopped short in the doorway of our bedroom where she was located. A weekend suitcase was open, lying on top of the bed halfway packed. The rest of the clothes were strewn out of the bag, the culprit residing in the bag itself. Vatan was nestled under the remaining articles, head peeking out, staring piteously towards Bella.

"Need help?" I asked, anxious to lock the offender up in his tropical inferno and relieved this wasn't something more serious.

"Yes, please. Hold on just a minute." Bella replied quickly, pulling out some more clothes from the dresser before returning to the bed and folding the other items sprawled out across it. Placing them in neat bundles, she waved me over to the opposite side. Vatan's back was to me as he tried to cajole Bella with his looks.

"On the count of three, pick him up so I can throw this back in the bag and close it." I started laughing thinking how cute she looked as she pondered the situation with such seriousness.

"One, two, three!" She counted as I scooped down to pick up the flea bag.

It probably only took twenty seconds for Bella to repack the bag, add the new clothes and zip it closed. Twenty seconds was an incredibly short amount of time when trying to fight a vampire, the rush of adrenaline on my side. Twenty seconds was breathtaking when in the throes of passion with Bella as her hands clung to my shoulders shuddering in release. Twenty seconds was this side of hell while holding onto one seriously pissed off furred fiend without the distraction of adrenaline or affection. In that short amount of time my arms looked like I had used a grater to remove the skin.

As soon as I heard the zipping noise cease, I dropped the demon to the floor. He hissed, spit, took one final swipe at my legs and ran for cover under the bed. Bella was horrified at what her precious demon had done. Strolling quickly to the bathroom, I shut the door. There was no way I could explain to her why there was so much blood, but no open wounds. As quickly as the wounds began to bleed, the skin had closed and healed, not even leaving a mark. She pounded on the door as I washed away the trails of red evidence that lacked a source.

"Jacob, are you okay? I am so sorry. I didn't think he'd react like that. I have never seen him so riled up before. He's up to date on all of his vaccinations. Do you need some band-aids or anything..." She trailed off as I opened the door walking back out into the room.

"Sweetheart, I'm fine. I thought he got me but I don't see any scratches." Bella grabbed both my arms turning them over looking for injuries. Puzzlement replaced her horror as she couldn't find even the tiniest mark.

"See, nothing to be worried about." Smiling I shared my joy "Although I am looking forward to a few days without a repeat." Ah, I relished the thought of any and all time, the coming days and nights Bella and I would have minus Cheshire Charlie. Fate was snickering at my naivety.

"Yeah, we won't have to worry about that until it's time to come back. I'll try to lure him in another room and shut the door. He doesn't really like traveling." It sounded like someone had scratched a record player to disquiet everything else. My own horror dawned bright and clear on my face.

"He's going with us? What? Why?" Pure and simple, I was whining. Bella's smile was forming quickly into a frown.

"Of course he's going with us. I can't leave him here by himself. Is that a problem?" She was whispering the last half of her question, clearly thinking our plans were about to blow up if I said no.

Fate had me by the balls and it knew it. Like I would risk saying no, leaving Bella upset the whole time in La Push. Or worse yet, her flat out refusing to go at all.

"Of course it's not a problem." _Stupid me. _"I was just taken by surprise." _With a sledge hammer. _Pushing aside the doom, I tried focusing on the happiness that we were going home.

"Is he, uh, ready to go also?" I asked, eyeing the space under the bed.

"Yes, I just need to grab his leash and harness and we're ready to go." Bella grinned before heading towards the evil one's homestead. My doom came right back.

"Wouldn't it be safer for him in a carrier?" Hopefulness laced my question. No way did my leather seats have the healing ability of my arms. Plus, if he decided to reexamine his breakfast, Fate or imprint be damned, there would definitely be one extra carcass along side the road towards La Push.

"Van hates carriers. He'll be fine in my lap or lying in the back seat." Bella's voice got louder as she came closer to our room. Walking to my side she uncoiled few pieces of flimsy nylon. She had said harness and I was thinking straight jacket, not some ribbon. Unless she was going to tie a noose, I couldn't see this working out.

Dangling it in front of the bed, the monster crawled out. Jumping up on the bed, he gave me the stink eye while Bella looped and cuffed him in. Once she was done, he jumped into her waiting arms.

"Are you going to walk him?" I asked, wondering what the hell the leash thing was about.

"No, silly. The leash is in case he tries to jump away. Van's not a dog, Jacob. He doesn't get walked." I had nothing to say to that. I grabbed her bag and another one in the hallway before heading down to my car. Van kept eyeing me and the car. Opening the door, she placed a blanket in the backseat for the king to sleep on before climbing in and holding him in her lap. Nap time was for later.

Now that he was no longer a Grand anything, maybe Bella would consider getting him declawed. Excitedly I brought up the idea to her as we left the city on our trip home. The furinator purred gloatingly in her lap.

"Are you kidding? What would he use to defend himself if he accidentally got outside?" Bella scolded me.

Even I knew his razors of death would be ineffective against a two ton dump truck. Smiling at the thought of Vatan versus an Allied Van moving truck, I shrugged it off.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking of that."

Getting on the ferry, I thought for sure Bella would lock up Vatan in the car so we could walk around. Leash and harness firmly in place, she carried him around with us. What I wouldn't give for a small slip over the railing for Rajah Rowboat. I'd even call out 'cat overboard' after a few really long minutes. Just long enough for him to be swept out to sea. It wasn't happening and Vatan was laughing. Bella was too occupied holding him instead of holding my hand, it wasn't funny in the least. We stood together by the railing over looking the swelling currents and tides. Captain Spavan was hungrily eyeing a sea gull and I was envisioning using his leash as a lasso to cast him out to Davy Jone's locker. Whatever expressions of longing we were both wearing, appealed to Bella. She giggled and chattered away happily, commenting about the peacefulness of it all. Once we were off the ferry and back on mainland, I brought up this evening's agenda.

"So I didn't want to make you nervous or anything, but a few of my friends and their wives wanted to get together tonight for an informal dinner. Is that okay?" Nervously, I gripped the steering wheel relaxing as Bella reassured me.

"Of course it is, Jacob. The whole reason for us coming up here is for me to get to know your family and friends. I can't wait for when I can introduce you to my family. Probably early December would be best, if our schedules work." _Well there was a mood killer._

"What happens if they don't like me?" I should have asked her what she would think when they tried to kill me but the next few days would be stressful enough without adding more to the mix.

"Why wouldn't they like you? Besides it's not their choice it's mine and I'm pretty sure whatever imaginary problems you think you have will be overlooked completely. You make me so happy and once my family sees that, they'll welcome you with open arms." _No doubt, the better to decapitate me with. _Bella was tired of talking about her family and moved on to a different subject.

"What would you like me to make for dinner? If we're having more than five or six over on such short notice, I should probably make something fairly easy. Any ideas?" _A ton, starting with drive thru at Burger King. _Clearing my throat, I tried to present the idea more delicately.

"Honey, we'll just order out and pick it up. I didn't mean to imply I was expecting you to cook." Right on cue, Fate showed up.

"Don't be silly, Jacob. These are your friends coming over to relax and get to know me. If we were going to order take-out we might as well just all go out to a restaurant. Goodness, you've done practically all of the cooking for us, I think I can handle one meal." For my own sanity, I had made sure all meals were prepared before Bella could get the upper hand. She had me trapped now and I had to concede.

"Nothing too exotic. All of them have pretty simple tastes." Not really, but I was all for food like grilled cheese sandwiches that couldn't be tainted. Fate threw on the apron and chef's hat while Bella planned.

"What about spaghetti?" Her innocent inquiry would have made anyone melt. Unless they had been on a picnic with her. I had to ask.

"Like just noodles and tomato sauce?" Visions of strained pumpkins drizzled with barbeque or soy sauce came to mind. I didn't think Bella would find her first party very pleasant if most of our guests ran from the table to puke in the back yard. Bella missed my hint entirely.

"Yeah, that does sound kind of boring. What about Mexican? I could make burritos and nachos. Maybe some churros for dessert?" _Burritos? Fuck!_ Not only would they not see disaster approaching, but I strongly suspected our version of what consisted of Mexican food would be highly different. Hers was probably something along the lines of grated cacti and raw rattlesnake. Fate was wearing a bib stenciled with Bon Appétit!

"Umm..." I stuttered, unsure how to answer. Bella never even noticed.

"It'll be easy. We can make both beef and chicken, and then leave everything diced up in bowls for everyone to choose what they want." _Maybe this could work._ _Most people could be forgiving when_ _given the opportunity to pass on iguana_. Realizing I was doomed any way, I gave in.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, honey. We can make a Mexican dish." Never again would any of the pack stop by to eat over. I could live with the loss.

Turning on some music, the time passed swiftly. Vatan had crawled into the back, chortling over lack of supervision. With him gone, I reached over to hold Bella's hand, my body and mind relaxing at the comfort she provided me. I gave some background information on some of the people she would be meeting and Bella would throw out a question or two of her own. Picking up the sounds of miniscule punctures, easily identifiable as claws in leather, I reacted with a low growl. _Fuck! The demon!_ I had almost forgotten about Vatan. _What the hell were we going to do with him?_ He didn't like werewolves and I could only imagine the torture he could inflict if left locked up in a room unsupervised.

"Bella? What are we going to do with Vat-Van?" Mentally I was cataloging through ideas of what normal people did with their pet demons. _A cage? An exorcism? Could a creature that size really die from being in a plastic trash bag for a few hours? A nice leisurely swim in the ocean?_ All of them seemed like good plans to me. Fate wasn't having it.

"He'll be okay, Jacob. He's a people person. I'll give him some catnip before hand, it'll help calm him down." I don't know why I was surprised Bella wanted to drug Vatan, I was all for Dr. Kevorkian's work.

"We might need to stop somewhere out of La Push. I'm pretty sure none of our stores sell catnap." My fantasy at Vatan's everlasting sleep was interrupted as Bella started chuckling over my misunderstanding.

"It's catnip, not catnap. It's okay though, I have some right here in his bag." Stretching into the back seat, I spent the time admiring her flat abdomen that was presenting itself as her shirt rode up in her search for kitten Crank. Vatan could do whatever he wanted, I was wondering if Bella wanted help losing her clothes.

"Here it is!" She cried out triumphantly as she pulled herself back into the front seat.

My body gave a small huff in disappointment at the now covered flesh. My eyes trailed to her hands where Bella was holding Vatan's habit. I about drove us into a tree.

"Oh my god, honey! You toke up with the cat?" Jerking the car back into our lane, I wondered why I hadn't seen any warning signs. I would have never suspected that Bella had a drug problem. She was eyeing me like I had started the yum-yum without her.

"Jacob," Her tone was patient as she started waving around the bag of contraband, "It's catnip. It doesn't need to be burned for Van to enjoy it." _Well, Fuck! How was I supposed to know? _What did it really matter if she burned, swallowed or snorted it? The end results were the same.

"Sweetheart, please stop waving the bag around. Having that much on you, you'll be arrested and charged with intent to sell. That's definitely more than a recreational amount to possess." My eyes were scanning the side and rear view mirrors searching for Fate in the cantering red and blue strobes just racing to arrest us.

Reaching over, I plucked the bag from her hand, stuffing it under my seat. Looking back towards her, my suspicions were confirmed. Bella was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, tears streaming down her cheeks over this potential problem. She must have absorbed it into her system somehow. Bella didn't even know she had a chemical dependence and I was intent on helping her make the first step: Admitting she had a problem.

"Bella, I promise to help you anyway I can. We can look at a rehab center or an outpatient program if you want. Who's your dealer?" She was laughing so hard her face was turning red and she wasn't breathing. I started pulling the car over to give her CPR, when she began rasping out her explanation.

"Jacob, I grow the stuff in Van's room. It is nothing more than catnip, plain and simple. That is not marijuana or pot or hash or any combination." Bella continued with her enjoyment at my ignorance, calming down only long enough to take a few breathes before muttering 'dealer'. Then she would break out in a hysterical rant all over again. I was so relieved that she didn't have a drug addiction, I wasn't even embarrassed about my misconception.

Finally arriving in La Push, I watched Bella take in the scenery as it passed by. She looked completely relaxed and at home, smiling at the rows and rows of thick Evergreens that lined most of the roads. As I pulled into the driveway of my house, I looked once more to gauge her reaction for disappointment. I don't know why I was so nervous about this. Bella would be happy anywhere with me, that was the way it was supposed to work. The sharp crackling of Fate reminded me that none of this was a guarantee.

Both of us got out of the car, Bella gripping tightly to Olivan Twist. His playground at home was nothing compared to the nature around us and I could see him calculating the possibilities. Walking up to the entrance, I searched for the correct key to release the lock. Finally opening the door, I indicated for her to walk in.

Originally I had purchased the house for its location. The remodeling had come later and was still yet to be complete. Bella carried a look of enthrallment as she took in the hard wood floors and simplistic wood beamed walls. Even with four other werewolves it had taken us nearly two weeks to sand, prime and stain the house in natural pine and redwood colors. Watching Bella gently run her hand across a wall made it all worth it.

My house was tri-leveled. The main floor held a kitchen, bath, living room, office and a rarely used garage. Upstairs were three bedrooms plus the master suite. The lower level, or downstairs, was almost completely open. There was a kitchen down there as well, along with another bath. The rest of the space contained huge oak tables that could be separated to form seating for close to forty people, along with a pool table and multiple recliners and coaches for when everyone came over to watch movies or what not.

Bella was still holding tightly to Vatan, waiting for me to start the tour. I felt it best to start with the lower level and work up. I had a feeling if I showed her the upstairs first, neither one of us would want to leave for awhile. Following behind me, we descended the stairs. Reaching the bottom, I turned to look at her. Gasping loudly, she was looking around at what probably appeared to most as an entertainer's dream. I watched her expressions as she tried to encompass the room. Suddenly she started giggling and pointed off towards the back of the room.

"Do you have a cover for that?" She asked. I looked over to what she was pointing at.

"The pool table? Uh,yeah,why?" _Did she have some type of aversion to pool tables?_ I'd have Collin and Brady over here is twenty minutes if that was the case. Still trying to ponder the situation, I looked back at Bella. At first I thought she was just trying to shrug as she lifted her shoulders. Realization hit as the demon started purring while wickedly glowering at what no doubt to him resembled a giant scratching post.

I relaxed, finally understanding the situation. Strolling over to the table, I reached underneath and pulled out the cover. As I finished affixing the top securely in place, Bella sighed in contentment. Turning back around, I caught Vatan's pout and felt slightly vindicated in spoiling his plans.

We finished the tour of the house and Bella unleashed FrankenVan. With one last look in my direction, that clearly read 'you fucked up', he shot off down the hall. I watched, as he sailed over the steps and down into my house, fervently praying demons didn't always land on their feet. Fate was waiting with the safety net.

Towards the middle of the afternoon, I had no doubts that Bella loved the house. We spent a lot of time talking about possible decorating ideas. I was hoping she had decided she wanted to move here and I was ready to hand over the credit card and let her decorate to her heart's content. Bella wasn't that type of person, though. She wanted to know exactly what I had been planning and what I might think of a small change here or there. I was unable to find a way to tell her that if she wanted to spray paint everything black and grow Meow Meth in the sinks, I could care less as long as we were together. Realizing how late it was getting, Bella asked me to bring in our stuff and not to forget Vatan's Zen.

Looking around, I kind of hoped we were too far out in the middle of nowhere for Fate to make an appearance. I could smell the pack, they had been patrolling through here recently. Hastily I made my way over to the car, pulling out Bella's bag along with my own. Taking one last look around, I opened the driver door to grab Vatan's stash. Reaching under the seat, I closed my fingers around the sandwich size zip locked bag, feeling the crunch of the tiny leaves. In one motion, I pulled it out, closed the door and almost launched myself on top of the car.

"Hey, J, whatcha doing?" Quil was all smiles, staring at my arm hidden behind my back. I hadn't mentally prepared myself for this confrontation and stammered for a logical response.

"What are you doing here? The party isn't for another couple of hours." Far from logical, but I was panicking. Quil simply snorted, directing his attention elsewhere.

"Are you out of the loop? What does it look like I'm doing? I'm patrolling." He was making gestures in the air like acting out charades and I simply rolled my eyes at the obvious.

"I realize that, but patrolling doesn't usually involve phasing back and stopping by to shoot the shit." _Go Away! Go Away!_

"Geez! Did Bella cut you off from getting any? What happened, did the octopus die?" Quil looked like he wanted to hold a memorial service for lost cephalopods around the world and I couldn't stop from groaning. _He knows better!_

"Go away, Quil. I can't handle this anymore." I was weighing my options. If I took off for the door, he would follow and see what I had. My only viable solution was for Quil to leave first. He gave me what I was hoping for.

"Fine, I'm going. I just stopped by to see if we could bring anything." The last time Quil had volunteered to bring something to a party it had almost ended in bloodshed. Somehow he had stolen panties and boxers from every member present and asked to play a friendly game of silk and sniff. An empty handed Quil was as safe as one could get.

"That's sweet, but no. Everything has been taken care of." Patiently as possible, I waited for him to lose interest. He eyed me momentarily before sauntering away. Fate flipped the switch to his brain and he was back before I could blink.

"What's behind your back?" He was back to grinning and I tried to play it off as trivial.

"Just something Bella forgot in the car. She's waiting on me, I'll see you later." I still had my right arm behind me, while pointing with my left to the house. I was a superb liar but it was wasted on someone who couldn't even spell innocence, much less recognize it.

"Let me see." Our reflexes were fast, but I wasn't anticipating Quil just going for it. "Holy shit! Is this what I think it is?" Holding the bag up in the air, he was dancing around paying homage to Mother Nature.

"Probably not." Defeated, I hung my head wondering how this could get any worse. Fate clucked me under the chin and pointed.

"Dude, you've been holding out. I know pot when I see it. Can I have some?" My head shot right back up at his seriousness.

"Quil, it isn't pot! And why the hell would you want any to begin with? You can't participate in activities like this."

"Oh, that's rich dude. Big bad Alpha can tell the rest of us no, while he and his imprint are blazing the ganja." His words pissed me off. I wasn't one of those 'do as I say, not as I do' type people and he fucking knew it.

I had to release this rage towards Quil, if not for the pack's sake then at the very least Bella's. I felt it evaporating into the air around us as a coldness seeped in. A calculating conman replaced my sensibilities.

"Fine. If you really want some, who am I to deny you. But I'm telling you, it's not pot." _Apparently, Quil can't spell stupidity either._

"Whatever, dude. Just give me some before cupcake misses you. I'll be out of your hair in no time." Holding his hand out, I opened the first bag, removing the second sealed one inside. Giving Quil the empty bag, he held it open as I poured in some of Vatan's nature. Sealing his own bag, he shoved it in his pocket. Giving a little wave, he vanished in the tree line. I returned inside the house, hoping no one was the wiser.


	15. Deuces are Fateful

You guys out rock Meow Meth any day! Thank you for the response. Bah, we didn't make my quote but this is the only day I have off. Maybe someone will make it up to me :D

Kudos to my Beta: Blueboarderchick. Don't kill me, I made a few last minute changes due to popular demand ;D

Maybe a slight warning about the content here ;D

* * *

Bella was wrong. She herself may not have a drug problem but Vatan did. He looked like a chipmunk on crack darting around and twitching. A doubtful, steroid enraged chipmunk but for sure the crack part. Nothing held his attention for longer than four seconds before he was back to snorting a line of his nip. At one point I watched as he started to drool then took off to brutalize a trash can, knocking him self senseless in the process. Finally, dazed enough, he clawed his way up the side of my bed before collapsing in the middle, pupils dilated and tongue hanging out. Bella chose at that moment to walk into our room.

"Look how cute he is. I told you the catnip would work." Walking over to the bed, she rubbed his head jump starting his purring. Turning her attention back to me, she uttered one of my favorite phrases.

"I'm going to take a shower before our guests arrive, okay?" _Hell Yeah! Where's the rubber ducky?_

"I could help. That shower can be kind of tricky." My shirt was off and I was working on my jeans when Bella walked over to me placing her hands on my fumbling fingers.

"I think I'll manage. Besides one of us should be presentable when they get here. I won't be long." Throwing me an air kiss, she disappeared into the bathroom leaving me with Wile E. Coyvatan.

Heavily sighing, I reassembled my clothing. As long as Vatan was out for the count, I was ready. Making my way downstairs, I sniffed for any revolting treasures Bella may have left out to entice my friends into eating. Everything seemed to be in order so I waited patiently in my office for the arrivals. After ten minutes I heard the distinctive crunch of gravel in my driveway. Throwing open the front door, I watched as Paul and Rachel made their way in.

"Welcome back, Big A." Paul stood in the middle of the door, arms raised wide and above his head. Rachel pushed him out of the way to give me a hug.

"So where is she? Where's the only woman my brother will ever want for as long as he lives?" Pushing back from me she eyed the hallway, waiting for my Bella to materialize. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea._

"Calm down, Rachel. She'll be down shortly, she's just finishing getting ready." Rachel just stared at me before grabbing Paul and tugging him downstairs to wait. Patience had never been her virtue. Paul gave me a funny look before the following his perfect match. Jared and Kim were just pulling up.

"Hey man, how's it going? Great to have you back!" Jared let go of Kim long enough to give me a hearty handshake before wrapping himself back around Kim, who just smiled in greeting.

"Thanks. I didn't realize how much I missed this place until I was actually back." I couldn't help but think how happy the two looked together. Thoughts of Bella and I looking like that, warmed me like nothing physical ever could.

"How long will you be staying?" His question brought me out of my reverie and the smile I wore had nothing to do with anyone but Bella.

"We're kind of playing it by ear for now. Hopefully at least a week." Or forever. The word held so much and lazily I drifted back to that mind set.

"Do you hear that? It sounds like your a/c fan is going bad. Want me to take a look at it?" Stiffening, I realized what he was talking about. Vatan's motor was running full throttle. _How to save this?_

"No, that's okay. I'll figure it out later. You guys are welcome to wait downstairs with Paul and Rachel." Sam and Emily had arrived, while I was still talking to Jared. With a single knock, Sam opened the door behind me.

"Welcome back, Jake. I trust everything is okay so far?" Sam stood behind Emily who gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before turning her attention over to Kim.

"Yeah, no problems yet." I mumbled, trying desperately not to think about what I might have overlooked. Emily muttered something about safety in numbers to Sam before dragging Kim downstairs. Even with the absence of imprints, Sam lowered his voice to answer my unasked concerns.

"I've instructed everyone on your wishes. All of the imprints know not to mention anything about the supernatural until after tomorrow night."

"Thanks, Sam. If you guys want, go downstairs. Paul and Rachel are already here. As soon as Bella comes down, I'll introduce everyone." I could hear Quil and Claire outside and I wanted a few minutes alone to re-instruct Quil on appropriate topics. Sam and Jared left for their mates just as Clair and Quil entered.

The last couple arrived, attached to each other like a life line. Actually it was quite a bit more graphic than that and I had to avert my gaze while they acted out Pee Wee Herman's downfall. Coughing long and loudly, they broke away. Both of them were smirking before Claire broke the silence.

"I saw Paul's truck, is Rachel here?" Nodding my head, Claire gave a squeal before telling Quil to hurry up. Without so much as a hello or goodbye she took off to greet her best friend. Mentally I was slapping myself for failing to acknowledge how shitty an idea this was.

"Dude, I think that shit was bad." I couldn't help but laugh over Quil's accusation. _Worked fine for the demon... _

"Quil, I told you it wasn't pot. Did you smoke all of it?" I asked. Clearly after a few puffs he would have figured out it wasn't weed.

"Well, yeah. I kept waiting for the buzz. That was some evil shit you gave me. You have no idea how fucking relieved I am, that it finally wore off."

"You seem okay, now." I wheezed out in answer, once again wondering how he had managed to live this long without the aid of a sitter.

"J, that's not even fucking funny. Not only did I have whiskey dick, but I couldn't even fucking feel it. Do you know what if feels like to have your girl try go down on you, and not even be able to rise to the occasion?" Quil continued, like I was his sex-therapist, and despite not wanting to hear any of it, I couldn't help but laugh even more at his situation. I had no sympathy for him and couldn't wait for the opportunity to tell him what it had really been. Something like that was not a conversation to have in the house.

"...and then, I pushed her away. It was like I couldn't control myself. I seriously wanted to lick my own di..."

"Quil, it doesn't matter. Keep that shit to yourself. I hear Bella." Both of us turned towards the approaching footsteps. Bella came forward, all smiles until her eyes fell on Quil. She quickened her pace to my side as her smile fell, never taking her eyes off of Quil.

"Hi, Bella. Welcome to La Push." He was surprisingly trying, but I could feel her nervousness as she pressed against my side. I tucked her underneath my shoulder as her arms wrapped around my waist.

"Hello, Quil." She was so subdued and I didn't like it. Rubbing my hand reassuringly over her arm, I gave Quil the 'get lost' look. For once he picked up on it and left to await us downstairs.

After a few minutes of the Are you okay? Are you sure? questions, I escorted Bella downstairs to meet her new family. Everyone was gracious and welcoming and Bella relaxed with the knowledge that not all of my friends were like Quil. Jared and Sam dominated the conversation in the beginning, asking about her job, schooling and life in general. It didn't take long for Bella to drawl then in, asking her own questions. Quil was bored and started a betting match with Paul about how well this was going to work tomorrow. Only the wolves could hear, but Rachel and Claire could feel the laughter. They weren't as open to Bella as Emily and Kim, still determining how Bella would fit in the social circle. Nothing could stop me from loving my sister, but her and Claire were a wild pair. Throw in Embry's imprint, Sara and the duo went from wild to a lethal trio. I gave a huge thanks that Sara had to work tonight or the situation would, without a doubt, turn into World War Three.

Dinner was going better than I could hope for. As hosts we waited for our guests to serve themselves first before making up our own plates. Bella was the only one who failed to notice the silence. She was humming happily while applying grape jelly, french dressing and crushed peanuts to her fajita. Beaming brightly, she sat down oblivious to the nauseous atmosphere. Once again the wolves held a conversation only audible to us.

"Damn, A! You knocked her up before telling her about the litter?" Paul laughed cruelly before turning to Quil to change his percentage on tomorrow night's bet. Fate was pulling out the roulette wheel, hoping to join in the festivities.

"I'll take those odds, dude. I have inside trader info." Quil was gloating, while Paul just smirked. It wouldn't have been the first time they played dirty during their games and the whole thing seemed like a set-up. I wanted to see how many poker chips it took, shoved in a wolf's mouth, to shut them both up.

"Like what?" Jared was only half-way paying attention to Paul and Quil. He couldn't tear away his gaze as Bella munched away. Quil was more than happy to tell, while Fate yelled out numbers and colors.

"She's not pregnant, dude. She's got the munchies." Quil was nodding his head happily while every wolf gave me questioning visuals.

"Enough!" I hissed out, no longer able to listen to the false characterization of my imprint. "Shut your fucking mouths. She is my mate and if you can't treat her with a little bit of dignity, you can leave."

My brethren quieted but the damage was done. None of the imprints had heard any of it, but Bella chose at that moment to look at me. Her smile was gone as she turned to each person, looking at the embarrassment they wore. Not over their digression, but at being stopped. Kim and Emily were deeply concerned while Claire and Rachel were elbowing each other, trying to determine if Paul or Quil had been the bigger asshole for causing the tension.

Everyone finished eating and my concern increased seeing that Bella hadn't eaten much of anything, edible or otherwise. After cleaning up the dishes we sat around talking. Rachel decided she needed to test Bella in some sort of female challenge and the night got worse.

"So Bella, Quil told Claire that you guys went to a club. Maybe Claire and I could come up for the weekend and you could take us out." _Please let her pass this test._

"Um, if you want to. I'm not sure if you guys would like it all that well." Bella was looking at her, completely startled at the question and all I could think was _Oops, wrong answer._

"Why? Are you afraid of the competition?" Rachel was just getting started and Bella was looking confused. Fate started pulling out the kiddie pool and chocolate pudding for mud wrestling.

"No! I mean if you guys want to go, that's fine. It's just not a club for the weary." _Why had I forgotten_ _to tell Bella that Rachel was such a bitch?_ This was my fault and I stepped in to clear up any misgivings.

"Absolutely not. I will not unleash three young women in a place like that. Not without us." Even with us, harm could befall them. If Bella wanted to go again I would accompany just in case. Paul stood up and walked over to where Rachel was sitting with Claire.

"Hell yeah, baby. Remember that time you and Claire were accused of being a pool sharks and that biker dude wanted his cash back? Damn that was sexy!" Picking her up, Paul moved over to a different seat with Rachel on his lap while Quil slinked his way over to a snickering Claire.

"Rach, we should ask Sara to go with us. This time though Embry should probably stay home." All four of the delinquents: Paul, Rachel, Quil and Claire started laughing.

At the bar they had been at, a bar they were no longer legally allowed to visit, Rachel, Claire and Sara had turned on the overly gruff man. Paul and Quil had to hold down Embry while they watched their girls hurl insults and gestures at the poorly skilled, drunk, pool player. The minute he had called Claire a cunt, Sara had hit him with her pool stick. It had been the brawl of the century and made front page news. Paul had the article framed, along with the trespassing warrants, in his living room and Embry did everything possible to keep his imprint from hanging out with the girls.

Thankfully the conversation split and turned into less hostile topics. Sam, Jared and I started talking about sports while the girls talked about La Push and Seattle. I was surprised to find Quil at my side, whispering.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Turning to look at Quil, he jerked his head to the back of the room for a slightly more private conversation. Frowning, I moved away from the group.

"What's up?" I asked, still watching my girl. She had developed a truce with the others and I found myself smiling with her as she listened to the group talk about a past hiking trip.

"J, I'm not trying to suggest anything but I can hear a...toy that sounds like it was left on. Maybe you should discreetly go turn it off." Attempting to leave the smile, I faced a serious looking Quil. He had just insinuated that Vatan's nasal problem resembled an unneeded sex toy.

"I'll take care of it later." I replied, edging back to the group. If I acted out, Quil's ideas would only get worse. No one in history had ever died from embarrassment, but history had never experienced Paul and Quil in the same room with ammunition like this.

"What a waste of batteries." Muttering something else about 'not sharing the love' he went back to Claire's side.

Joining Bella on a love seat, I kept my arm around her shoulders. Completely ignoring the conversation around us, I found myself daydreaming about our life together. Every so often my attention would be required and I'd answer appropriately before slipping back into my happy land. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard Vatan stop snoring and drooling. Immediately my thoughts shifted to the bed. I couldn't wait to launch his furry carcass off of it so Bella and I could christen our new room. Recalling her words from earlier, I envisioned our shower rendezvous. The sudden pounding of feet brought me back to reality. Quil came rushing back downstairs. I hadn't even realized he had left to begin with. I met him at the base of the stairs, steering him away from everyone else.

"J, dude, you have some kind of rodent upstairs." Well fuck. This hadn't been the way I planned on telling Quil about Vatan but the shit was out of the bag. Taking a deep breath, I began to explain.

"Quil, it's not a rodent, it's a..." Quil's eyes reflected the fear of Hell and the odd echoing padding of doom made his presence known before I could even finish.

Turning towards the sound, I watched as Vatan swaggered down the stairs, puffed up in all of his glory. Halting on the last step, he sat down taking in the room. Aside from Quil and me, no one had noticed his arrival. Quil was making soundless gasps, fists clenched to his side as he watched Vile Vatan. Had I not found myself in a similar situation in the past, it would have been funny. Vatan didn't like being ignored and there was nothing I could do as he opened up his evil little mouth in a yawn to tease. Both Quil and I grimaced as his chin nearly split at the dimensions. The sleep walker's ears flattened and his whiskers expanded stretching to reach them before snapping back into place. Fate lit up like a reactor as their minion came out to play.

Mreow!

That single greeting stopped every ounce of noise in the room. As fast as everyone's gaze shot to the source of noise, I fully expected to see eyeballs fly by. Bella smiled hugely, excusing herself from the girls' conversation. Walking over to the stairs, she leaned to pet him. Scratching him behind his ears she turned back to us.

"This is Van. He probably just woke up." Vatan chirped in approval at her response. Bella and I were the only ones not wearing identical expressions of shock. She was losing some of her confidence over the lack of greetings, though.

"He, uh, won't hurt anyone. I can take him back upstairs if it's a problem." Leaning down, she attempted to haul his unwilling body into her arms. He wasn't hurting her, Vatan just had other ideas. So did Fate.

My heart sank a little as I lay witness to an otherwise preventable problem. Cats were not found in La Push. Neither were demonic fur fucks and I had failed to ask if anyone might have a concern with said problem. I couldn't speak for, or to, my guests now. Sam was the first to recover.

"No, Bella. It's fine. Just kind of a surprise. Jacob never mentioned you had a pet." I hadn't mentioned a lot of things to the pack and, while not intimidated, they all looked kind of pissed.

"Man, this keeps getting freakier and freakier. First an octopus and now a cat!" Quil's voice was low, only for the wolves to hear what he was saying. Paul and Jared weren't sure what the correct response was and kept impassive looks.

Bella accepted Sam's words as approval. Resuming our previous seats, everyone fell back into conversation, ignoring Vatan. From the corner of my eye, I kept him in sight. He was up to something, Fate was whispering in the demon dialect of CATonese to him. Deciding on a course of action, he stalked towards Quil who was sitting on a couch next to Claire. Quil felt Vatan's approach and his eyes got larger and larger. Vatan picked up speed and threw his mass into Quil's lap.

Both of Vatan's paws crept up Quil's chest until he was stretched out and looking Quil in the eye. The demon's pendulum of doom started rocking back and forth brushing across Quil's thighs. Paul and Jared looked like they wanted to laugh, throw up and curl into a corner, all at once. Quil looked like he had just been told he would never have sex ever again.

Claire started cooing about how cute it was and all the girls except Bella began chiming in about Quil's new friend. Claire started talking to Quil in a pleading voice and I thought Quil was about to be the first werewolf to pass out.

"Ah, sweetie. Look how adorable he is. I didn't know you liked cats. Maybe we should get one." Her tone was far from suggestive, more like a demand as she reached out to stroke Vatan. Quil had never said the word no and his reaction rocked the room.

"Are you out of your mind? This thing is uglier than that Sex-Ed video we watched in high school. You remember, half the class was gagging over those pictures of sores and shit." Having never seen a wolf turn on his mate, the mocking hostility felt as if we had been doused in frigid water.

"Quil, shut up! This is the most adorable cat I have ever seen. You better watch yourself before I replace you with one. You'll be sleeping on the floor like the dog you are." Everyone stilled momentarily at Claire's slip. Bella missed it completely, her mind only on one thing.

She started walking towards the pair, with a look of fury I have never seen before. Vatan picked up one of his paws and started to stroke Quil's chest while meowing out suggestions left and right. Jared was still trying to hold on to his impassiveness but Paul gave up. Not even my sister's look of death could stop his laughter as he sat there, clutching his sides. Fate just lounged at the bar, downing shots, while Bella approached Quil, glaring the whole time.

"My apologies, Quil" She spat out his name like a barb. Yanking Satan's Sweetheart from Quil's chest, she headed for the stairs, her anger still pouring forth.

"You would think being so fond of aquatic life, you could show a little more respect." No one said a word as Bella ascended towards the main floor. Vatan was peering over her shoulder and, before disappearing out of sight completely, he gave a few winks and lusty purrs of promises to catch up with Quil later.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" My voice, while not loud, exploded across the room.

"Come on, dude. You can't tell me you honestly like that, that thing Bella just carted away. Why does she even have it?"

"Whether or not I like it is not the issue. Bella likes it, him and that's good enough for me." Quil knew the rules to imprinting as well as I did and while a few new ones had been added by Fate for my benefit I still couldn't take away whatever brought Bella joy. Sam and Jared wisely stayed silent but Paul was as giddy as Fate over the new development.

"It's a good thing you've already imprinted. Looks like truck there has the hots for you. You better watch out, Claire, you might have some competition."

"Apparently more than I thought. What was Bella referring to about sea life?" Claire lifted her eyebrow waiting for Quil to spill. Poor Rachel was trying to cover Paul's mouth, not wanting to hear anything else he had to say. Paul always threw out visions of their time together and an octopus wouldn't stand a chance.

"Baby, you know it's just you and me. Let me tell you about the rest of it later." Both Paul and Quil were back to pleading mode for their mates understanding. The girls just wanted out of the room.

"Come on, Claire. Let's go talk to Bella. I'm sure the guys can fill us in later." Emily was giving Sam a pointed look. He knew what the reference was and Emily was pissed he hadn't told her. He'd have no choice later on. Fate was penciling in the appointment.

Rachel simply patted Paul on the leg before jumping up and grabbing Kim,

"I don't know and I don't care. You guys keep whatever that shit was about to yourselves. Come on, Kim. Us girls can have our own party upstairs." Kim was staring hesitantly at Jared. She was so quite and shy. Rachel could scare the bark off of a tree and Kim wasn't her biggest fan. I, myself wasn't keen on the idea of Rachel being around Bella without a referee but I had a few things to discuss without the ladies present.

Once the girls had vanished to console Bella, the antagonizing continued.

"So Quil, thinking of becoming a bigamist?"

"Shut it, Paul. I don't want that thing anywhere near me. Jake, you better keep it away from me. That thing was stuck on my ass like flies on a dead girl scout and if it happens again, it'll find itself as Kitten Kibble for a wolf."

"Forget it, Quil. That's Bella's beast, not mine. If she's in the room then he will be too. You better watch your ass. If Van ends up like a fly or a girl scout you won't be far behind. Now that you've managed to clear the room, let's drop this shit and move on to more important matters."

While the girls continued with their party upstairs, I took the opportunity to inquire about any more rogue leeches. There had been traces of them around the edges but nothing solid enough for us to attack. The increase in leech detection made my stomach turn. La Push was a safe spot, literally the wolves den. Why would any enemy want to be near here? My inner wolf became restless, wanting to explore and assure itself of safety before coming back here to snuggle with its mate. The human side said '_Fuck It. You're a leader, send out the soldiers and just go romp in the bedroom.'_ Thank god for humanity.

Finally saying goodbye to our guest, I shut the door. For the first time since living here, I locked it. The wolves would be out tonight to protect the land and I myself would never let anything happen to Bella. But somehow the action felt needed for whatever reason. Turning off the downstairs lights, I watched Bella walk upstairs halfheartedly. Vatan was all over the place, telling her twisted tales that she was ignoring. Coming into the bedroom, I found her pulling on a pair of fleece pajamas. Frowning, I went to check the temperate on the a/c. It was set for 65, a little cold for humans but my heat alone would have made up for any need of an alternate heat source.

Crawling into bed next to her, I relaxed slightly as she curled into me. Lying on my back, I pulled her upper torso onto my chest. Her hips were wrapped around my side and I could feel her warmth pressing against my thigh.

"Are you okay?" Whispering, I stroked her temple awaiting the sentence. The room was bright with moonlight and I studied her eyes as she turned towards me.

"I'm fine, Jacob. That was...interesting. You have some rather engrossing friends." Smiling at her attempt to reassure me, I relaxed even more. The group took a little getting used to but I had no doubt Bella would.

Running my hand underneath her top and across her back, I felt her settle in even closer. Fifteen minutes later I got to repeat the process as Bella shed her clothes, pressing more than just warmth into me. As I fumbled for a condom, I wondered if she would be opposed to getting on the pill. Those types of thoughts only fed my lust and it was a long time before we feel asleep.

Fate stood over me like a bull horn, screaming at me in shrill terror. If Bella wasn't such a sound sleeper, she would have awoken as I nearly catapulted her off the bed. Vatan was at her feet, hissing and bristling at the intrusion. My eyes searched for the clock, attempting to determine what time it was. I found it on the floor partially under the bed, no doubt thanks to Mr. Evil. As I made out the digits that read somewhere in the neighborhood of two a.m., I heard the howls. They were a warning and as the seconds ticked by, so did the different calls. My leadership was required and I had to leave for now.

Grabbing a pair of shorts, I wrapped Bella up in a comforter, gave her a kiss goodbye, and left to join my pack. Praying I could be back before Bella woke up to find me missing, I phased and took off for the call. I should have seen this coming but the chaos was revolting. Hell was attempting to enter a forbidden zone, wanting to take back what was theirs. Even Fate wouldn't be able to convince them that wolves did not share.


	16. Salem Fate Trials

Quil's POV:

Shit, that was one fucked up dinner party! Whatever that evil fur fucker was, it wasn't welcome to make me its new best friend. What the hell was wrong with Jake? That boy needed help before he became the next fucking Dr. Doolittle or some shit. His imprint was kind of a nut and if the two of them started making plans to live in a seashell, pack intervention would become mandatory.

Enough with the bullshit, not my problem. Sitting at my computer, I went to a website to read some great stories about our kind. It was so fucking funny how devoted these people were to werewolves. The clueless bastards didn't even know we existed, but they sure as shit loved to write about us. I tried really hard not to dwell on the fact that the majority seemed more interested in vampires as opposed to werewolves, but most of the ones who wrote about shape shifters did us justice.

Logging into my account, I browsed my favorites list. What the fuck? Yesterday I had 203 stories listed and now it was down to 196. FF better stop fucking around with the programming and losing shit. This was ridiculous. Heading to my favorite authors list, I clicked on the one I was currently searching for. As their profile loaded, my disgust turned to dread.

They had yanked another story off of their precious website and the author was rightfully pissed. Clicking on a few other authors, I realized that for once, FF didn't have computer programming issues; rather, they had half-formed moral issues. This needed to stop and as a loyal fan, I fully intended to fill the sites email address with my own thoughts on the idea. Logging into my yahoo account, wolfgirlsgonewild, I addressed a new email to supportfanfiction[dot]net.

_Dear FanFiction Retards,_

I really wasn't sure about using the word Retards. But I should probably stay away from the word fucker; too may F's and they would be stuttering.

_Why is it not okay for authors to write stories about sex? Is it because "Shh, that's just wrong."? But then, why is it perfectly acceptable to write about slashing throats, drinking blood, or performing satanic rituals with bunnies? Because yeah, that shit would never scar an innocent reader or anything. Do you see where I'm going with this?_

_Now per the user's term of agreemen,t I can write about a person calling another person a fucking bitch or dick or cunt, but I can't write about a bitch fucking a cunt or a dick? I'm feeling a little lost here because my biology teacher told me that having sex is natural and normal and does in fact require the aforementioned body parts to perform. Even a priest told me that children don't hatch from cabbage patches nor are they delivered from storks. The super secret is, babies arrive from having s-e-x! _

_And you'll never believe what I overheard a psychology instructor say? He said that believing in werewolves and vampires to begin with, depicts a whole new level of wrongness should I develop such thoughts from reading enjoyable stories on websites. Plus, gaining any type of comfort from reading about characters draining the life force from another, depicts the makings of a serial killer. And I'm not talking about offing Tony the Tiger or Snap, Crackle and Pop; although, that's probably morally wrong also._

_Let's address the guidelines you have set up and talk about each one separately._

Community Etiquette:

Fanfiction[dot]net does not filter content and is an open system that trusts the writer's judgment. However, there is an inherent responsibility that falls to writers as a result.

_Watch out there, Pinocchio! Your blatant lies from the get go, seems a poor way to start this introduction._

Here is a list of conducts that should always be observed:

Spell check all story and poetry. There is no excuse for not performing this duty. If you do not have a word processor that has the spell checking feature, use a search engine such as to find one.

_All of the authors I have come across, are pretty good about spell check. I can't specifically recall if I have ever read that someone was 'facking hard' or 'lucking a tit', but I doubt it. That shit would be funny as hell. Is this part really a big concern?_

Proofread all entries for grammar and other aspects of writing before submission. 'Hot off the press' content is often riddled with errors. No one is perfect but it is the duty of the writer to perform to the best of his/her ability.

'_Hot of the press?' That right there, alone, screams sex and naughty things. But humans are humans and some authors aren't aware that it is possible to view and edit the document before posting their work. Hey, maybe you could leave a more detailed description of how to navigate the website to begin with?_

Respect the reviewers. Not all reviews will strictly praise the work. If someone rightfully criticizes a portion of the writing, take it as a compliment that the reviewer has opted to spend his/her valuable time to help improve your writing.

_Now this would make sense if some reviewers didn't leave crap about how authors shouldn't ask for a review to begin with. Maybe you could help out new authors, like you claim, and set the system up so that to access the next chapter of a story a review has to be left?_

Everyone here is an aspiring writer. Respect your fellow members and lend a helping a hand when they need it. Like many things, the path to becoming a better writer is often a two way street.

_Oh, you mean don't go all Salem on them and start yanking stories that the authors have spent hours dreaming up and writing? That's what it sounds like you mean, but your actions fall short from the thought._

Use proper textual formatting. For example: using only capital letters in the story title, summary, or content is not only incorrect but also a disregard for the language itself.

_Disregard for the language? How much more disregarding and disrespectful can you get when you start yanking the stories? That shows no compassion to a language we all speak, but one that you are attempting to sensor narrow-mindedly. Did you guys actually read this shit before turning into Story Nazi's?_

_**Content Ratings:**_Fanfiction[dot]net adopts the rating system from fictionratings[dot]com. Please note does not accept explicit content, Fiction Rating: MA, and the rating is only presented for reference.

_So you've adopted the rating system to somehow cover your ass and then just decided to totally fucking ignore it? Again, I ask, what part of your brain did you misplace? If this whole damn website is to be kindergarten rated, drop the damn rating system. You can't just adopt the parts that suit you and then tell everyone else to fuck off. Why couldn't you add that last rating system to make everything acceptable? Many authors would not hesitate to change a rating should you make it available. Are a bunch of hillbilly, ignorant peasants, that feel they have found god and he has told them sex is bad, more realistic than the rest of the world? The people who aren't offended by such content or even those who may wish not to read it and are smart enough to navigate away from the page. Not all authors use sex in their stories, but a majority of the more mature do. _

_Are you worried some parent is going to be pissed? Little Johnny doesn't know better, you say? Why the fuck does he have unsupervised access to the website then? Change the rating system, dickwads. Or better yet, have the parent man the fuck up and take action for their own kids browsing the web. Everyone wants to point a damn finger then that shit needs to start at home._

_Seriously your reasoning is distasteful and sour. Let the aspiring authors have a chance and up the system, so when angry mommy sends an email about the graphic dialogue, you can simply tell her to be a better parent. Tell her to buy a fucking program or take advantage of parental locks. _

_I realize you have a few more rules of the obvious, but we'll skip analyzing those. I simply note this, so you know, that I know, that there are a few more points that have nothing to do with erasing dreams in response to some psycho club that failed to graduate high school and enjoys inflicting complete control over an area that they should just ignore to begin with._

_Is sex that taboo? Do you know that at the Center for Disease Control website or CDC, they actually have pictures of graphic body parts? For fuck's sake, they don't even have a lettering system or summary to warn you that shit is there! Nowhere does it state that it could, and most definitely will, be graphic. They don't tell you that once the picture loads, you are going to want to wrap yourself in plastic wrap for fear that your own healthy body will somehow come in contact with a lesion encrusted vagina or pus leaking penis. I can honestly testify, I have been permanently scarred from viewing that shit, but here at FanFic, I have no mental scars._

_This isn't the Middle Ages; sex is all around us. Every watch a newscast? Bimbo Barbella and Studly Stan are more interested in what the viewers think of their bodies and how to flex onscreen as opposed to talking about an economic crisis or world hunger. I got news for you guys. I didn't learn about graphic sex from Fanfiction stories; I learned most of it from the kids at a public school. The pictures were provided by none other than my teachers. Did you know you have to correctly label and identify a male and female reproductive system in 7__th__ grade science class? Again, no forewarning just, "Class open to page 278," followed by gasps and snickers. _

_And then, oh lord, the videos from National Geographic (a highly respected publication). They actually have some pervert lurking in the bushes, with a camera, to catch Elephants in the act of sex! I've yet to read a BDSM story that could compare to the horror of an elephant's penis and what he does with it. I guess in the end, you should probably just up your damn rating system and leave the authors alone. _

_Signed,_

_wolfgirlsgonewild_

Just as I finished my letter and hit send, Claire walked into the room.

"Are you ready?" She asked me, jiggling a little bag of wonderment. Hastily I pushed away from the laptop.

"Hell yeah, Bear. Let's do this!" Grabbing her around the waist, we left to go play.


	17. Fate Over and Cough

The pack was approximately ten miles northeast of my house and nearly every wolf was there, bordering on violence. Running to the scene my muscles held the same tense quivering of my brothers. Their attention was only on one thing and through their eyes, thoughts and senses we were one. Two leeches reflected in my mind, still as marble. Somehow they seemed to know if they ventured just ten feet closer, their existence was forfeit. Even with Sam and Paul alternating between advancing and retreating in paces, the leeches failed to stir. The rest of the pack remained still, reverberating the atmosphere of lethality. I was almost there in form. I could smell them on my own and in another twenty seconds, would see them with my own eyes.

"**What's going on? Why are they just standing there?"** I was thinking loudly, my form a silent shadow through the night, racing at impossible speeds. Our thoughts may have been shared but the quirk in the system allowed for direct dialogue to rise above the rest. Taking another step forward, Sam answered.

"**They w****ere running the border. I picked it up and the chase was on. Once Collin and Embry joined Quil and me, they stopped and haven't moved since."** This was bad. Even a predator outnumbered never stopped. The response to fight was ingrained deeply; even upon death it wasn't met meekly.

"**Have they said anything?" **Sam and Paul were assessing a new approach and Embry answered me as he shifted and crouched in preparation to strike soon.

"**At first they kept saying 'she's here' but nothing else." **We all knew who 'she' was and my dread infiltrated each pack member, stronger than most because of my position.

Reaching the area, I wove through the trees brushing past pack mates and vegetation. Taking the lead to my intimidators, Sam and Paul fell adjacent to my sides. Our growls and snarls were loud, the only sound to announce us. My own teeth dripped with anger and fury; teeth glistening in the trace shafts of moonlight filtering through the thick trees. The Alpha took over, my gaze unwavering.

"**Justin, ****Leah! Take flanking positions behind Seth and Quil. If they move up for the trees, springboard off of your pack mate's back."** Our movements were subtle, forming a battle pose. A rearrangement never found in nature. The threat continued its deathlike stare, failing to acknowledge the mindset behind it.

Resting just out of their reach, I stopped to issue an indictment of last chance. My roar was a shock wave that could be felt in every molecule around us. The sound bellowing out and through the forest props, as leaves fluttered to the ground from the vibrations. The pack stiffened, ears flat and muzzles wide. With only the ringing of silence left, the leeches took several guarded steps back. They were two males and while nothing alike in looks, they shared the aura of delivering uncomprehending pain.

"Is this their leader? How are we supposed to communicate?" The smaller of the two was the first to speak and the wolves ears rang with the sickly tones.

"**Jacob...?" **Paul questioned. Every wolf was slightly shocked that the vamps had been waiting for a leader of the wolves to appear. The other vamp gave us a cursory sweep before responding, my thoughts too frozen to answer.

"I don't know. I would guess he's the leader, he's slightly larger than the rest." The duo turned back towards me, attempting to smile their own brand of viciousness. The gesture was met more snarls of disapproval. I could feel the sensory movement of paws repositioning to adjust weight shifts of primary muscles.

"Can you understand me, beast?" I stared into the creature's questioning eyes, their scopes to zero in and identify prey. The internal apprehension that we were a known species evaporated in the pack. If the vamps knew about it us, it couldn't be much. Neither dismissing nor acknowledging, he continued.

"Look, this is just a misunderstanding. You have something that belongs to us. Give her back and no one gets hurt." The echo of dark wolf laughter filled our thoughts. There were no odds here; an attack from them would end in nothing but a cessation to those already lacking a life.

"I don't think it understands. Just keep him occupied. I'll fade back and head around, three, four minutes tops. I'll meet you fifteen miles south of here." The smaller one's plan had me issuing commands on autopilot.

"**Quil, Jared! Fall back once it steps away and follow it. Make sure it doesn't cross."** Never taking their eyes off of the targets, Jared and Quil switched positions with Brady and Leah. Moving farther back and out, our stance resembled a rough triangle. The corpses took notice.

"I think you're wrong, they seem to be responding to us. Look, lunar lupines, we aren't known for our patience. Find a representative amongst yourselves so we can converse like civilized people."

"**Sam, I want you.."**

"**I'll do it." **_Damn. Damn. Damn._ He phased back before I could finish my command. Brady inched closer in preparation for a distraction if Sam needed to phase back due to a sudden attack.

"You're not the leader!" The smaller one wore a look of surprise at Sam's transformation. Brady positioned himself in front of Sam. We weren't ashamed of our nudity but you didn't just expose yourself to the enemy. Sam wore an expression of contempt as he addressed the parasites.

"My Alpha would never stoop so low. Say whatever you need to then leave. You are not welcome here and our own patience wears thinner by the second." With a grand gesture he swept his arm in the direction of our furry army.

"Where is she?" The larger one was grinning, like he already knew the answer.

"Who? We harbor no leeches here." _Good idea, Sam. Confuse them_.

"Not a vampire, mongrel. The girl, Bella," The little one hissed. My Imprint's name, coming from the mouth of a leech sounded tainted and dirty. She was my pride, the purest form of love one could be honored with, and a creature of death shouldn't be allowed to even think her name much less speak it.

"**Oh shit, man. Is this her family?"** Collin's thoughts of confusion pissed me off.

"**How the hell would I know? It's not any from the airport. Quil, this isn't the one from the city is it?"**

"**No, J. Look." **Images from that horrible night he had tortured Bella bloomed in everyone's minds. The leech in the picture was ferocious and scary. My heart dropped a little further as Quil replayed the vision of Bella's family escorting her away from the precinct. Sam's speech ripped me out of my forgotten rage.

"You have wasted your time. We posses no one that does not belong here. Any chance that one of ours shares a name with whom you are looking for is just that. Chance." The present leeches simply laughed as if being told the funniest of jokes. The larger on cut off abruptly and leaned forward.

"Oh, but you're wrong. We can smell her, she's close by. We have not seen her in some time but our senses do not lie. We can offer you much. At the very least, riches beyond your dreams. At the very most, your lives."

"All life on our territory is sacred. There is nothing you could offer to make us forget our vows." The little one was surprised by Sam's words, needing clarification.

"Vows? You are not men of a religious bearing, you're not even real men. Name your price so we can negotiate."

"You ask for something that is not ours to give. We do not need religion to offer sanctuary. But the people here, now, on our land belong to it."

"Such a monumental statement, but you have avoided our questions. Where is she and is it worth your life to shelter one who will soon leave your midst anyway? Decide now, your stench is revolting."

"**Embry, Collin! Go. As fast as you can, go back to my house now." **I was livid. With the faintest rustle of leaves, the two wolves vanished. In their place more of the pack showed up. The new members were still youngsters to most, one not even eighteen. Upon position they added their own snarls of disapproval towards the walking infections of death standing in front of us.

"We don't smell like the bargain bin at a third rate meat market whose cooler has gone bad." The words came from Sam's mouth, but that definitely sounded more like Fate. Even in a war they couldn't leave me alone. Vampires seemed to be immune.

"Our natural scent is just as tainted as yours. The filth of humanity combined with the harsher side of earth. We do not pretend, we know what we are." The assurance from the false demigod was acerbic.

"Tell me, monster. Do you know what you were? Before succumbing to an influence beyond your understanding." Sam's hands began shaking, thinking about the choice a human must make to become one of the undead. Brady brushed up against him in a show of moral support, the bond of brotherhood ever present

"Whatever we were is inconsequential. What we are now, is what matters." Both vamps opened their mouths in a threatening gesture. They emitted growls of their own, sounds like nothing ever found this side of reality. They were less than five seconds away from being cannon fodder.

"What you are is trespassing. Our Alpha is weary of your prevaricating. I tell you one last time, leave before my brothers lose their control completely!" Sam could no longer contain the wolf. The sudden explosion of fur and snapping jaws caused the vamps to take a step back before regaining their composer. Fate simply posted a 'Beware of Dog' sign.

"This is a dangerous game you play, werewolves. We will not forcibly take her and risk harm but I warn you. Her father will be extremely upset over the location of his daughter. If anything should happen to her, all of you will be nothing more than the myths humans make us out to be. You know nothing of what you claim that you do not possess. There will be no warning at our next encounter. We will be close by, if you should change your minds."

Fate barely had a chance to step out of the way. My pack was half a step behind me, energized by my choice. True the leeches were on no man's land, but there would be no witnesses to state otherwise. Their end came quickly with no escape from such a large number of enemies. At the end of ten minutes the only trace was the smoldering ashes being picked up and scattered by the wind. Unfortunately, vampires were a lot like potato chips: You couldn't have just one and they shortened your lifespan quickly. For another hour or so we did multiple sweeps, searching for new or missed vampire scents. Fate was hiding the bag. Our lands were clear for now and leaving last minute guard instructions I went to relieve Embry and Collin from watching over my mate.

It was after four in the morning by the time I returned home. Without a sound, I stepped inside listening for Bella. From what I could hear, she was still sleeping, no doubt taking comfort from Vatan. Using the downstairs bathroom, I showered quickly before making my way back upstairs only to encounter a different monster.

Vatan sat on the top step, glaring reproachfully. Giving him the same look, he didn't even flinch. At any moment, I expected him to start tapping a claw against the wood as he tried to telepathically make his point. Short of speaking English, Quileute or Wolf, Vatan Vibes were a lost cause. I lashed out in a tantrum.

"Now what the fuck? You had her all to yourself for nearly two hours!" I was tired, cranky and at a loss. Three minutes was five too many to stare at my second enemy for the night. Stiffening, he traipsed down the stairs at my ignorance. Contemplating for a minute if I should follow and tie his tail into a knot, I gave up and went to my room.

Bella was still cocooned in the comforter but her sleep was restless. Tossing and turning, it was like she was trying to get away from something. Carefully peeling back the blanket, I resumed my spot next to her. Not even fully stretching out, her body inched in my direction unconsciously. _Damn, I forgot to turn the air off._ Her skin was cold despite the down filling of the blanket surrounding us. I couldn't very well lie on top of her so I did the next best thing. Lifting her sleeping form, on what was fast becoming my favorite position, I draped her across myself like a Bella blanket. Her body siphoned my heat and I drifted off into a slumbering peace.

Waking up with Bella still on top of me would have been perfect if it wasn't for Mr. Sand Van's snoring and tail twitching. He must have been dreaming, his mittens of death flicking and having spasms every few seconds. He was lying at the foot of the bed and temptation won. With a swift nudge, I kicked him off the bed and onto the floor. The soft bodily thud was my reward. _Apparently demons don't always land on their feet._ Laughing, I cuddled with my mate.

The counterattack was unexpected. Like a trick of levitation he jumped straight up and was suspended in the air near my feet. As his body came back down, he used both of gore gloves to attach to my exposed toes. Gravity kicked into overtime and took him plummeting to the floor with some of my flesh as a souvenir. Both of us hissing for different reasons, Bella woke up. She missed the fight but still wore a look of disturbance as she stared around the room before resting on my face. Vatan had shot out of the room on a new mission. I could have sworn he was crowing about being the Master Bitch.

"Hi." Bella's voice was faint and her eyes barely open as she tried to focus on me. Leaning forward, I gave her a quick peck of lips to her forehead.

"Good morning, gorgeous. Did you sleep okay?" My arms were already wrapped around her and while she struggled to place herself I started kneading the muscles in her back. Arching slightly in pleasure, she returned to a relaxed blanket state.

"Never better, but did I sleep all night like this?" _Some details are better left unsaid for now._

"Pretty much." Fate gave me a look of surprise.

"I'm sorry. You must be really uncomfortable." I wasn't the least bit sorry. Bella didn't sound like she was either as my fingers crept up her spine and into her hair, massaging her scalp

"Not at all. In fact I think we should sleep in this position every night." My tone was hopeful and Bella didn't hold a trace of hesitancy when she answered.

"Okay. What are we doing today?" I wanted to answer that we were already doing it, but then I remembered plans had already been made.

"Well, after I make us breakfast a bunch of people are spending the day at the beach. Tonight is a ceremonial bonfire that I thought you might like to attend." I started to get worried when Bella just stared unblinkingly. The sound of Fate clapping boded nothing happy. Suddenly she yawned while answering.

"That sounds like fun. But really, Jake, let me make us breakfast. I have a really great quiche recipe I want to try out. My mom emailed it to me a few months ago. You wouldn't happen to have any grapefruits, would you?" Bella sat up straddling me and a different kind of fire came to mind. I would have missed her response if Fate hadn't reminded me that quiche and grapefruit were not slang for quickie and berry. _Don't gag, Jake!_

"A grapefruit quiche? No, sorry, honey, I don't think I have any citrus fruit. How about French toast?" The word French threw my mind right back in the gutter and I was browbeating myself to climb out. Bella slithered off of me in search of some clothes and I followed suit. Fate added comfy touches to my mind's new gutter home as my eyes traced every line of Bella as she dressed. _Was it wrong to wish I could morph into a pair of thongs?_

While I prepared brunch Bella fed the furry monster. The little bitch. He sat off in the corner, mocking me. Every time I looked at him he would raise his paw and lick it, smiling as he removed the skin he had stolen from me. Pulling the bacon from the stove, I watched his nostrils twitch in excitement at the scent. While Bella was foraging in the fridge for god knows what, I pretended to drop bits of crisp pork for GomerVatan. He really did sound like a hippo, pounding across the floor towards my feet. Sniffing the ground he took a few steps back before looking up. With my back turned, I transferred the food to some plates. Once I heard his retreat, I faked dropping another piece. Catching it before hitting the floor I waited as Mr. Stupid returned to search for another missing treat. After a fruitless expedition he disgustedly left the kitchen, realizing I wasn't about to share. _Ever hear of the term Indian giver, Vatan? Live and learn, bitch!_

After breakfast, Bella went upstairs to change into a swimsuit and I crept outside to see if any of the wolves were nearby. I released a low, questioning howl, waiting for a response. Two minutes later and I was rewarded with one. They stayed just inside the trees and after making sure Bella was otherwise occupied I indicated for them to come forward. Leaving a clear space for the wolf I positioned myself to face my house in case Bella happened to look out a window. Quil stepped out to approach me.

"Has there been anything...Quil why the hell do you have pink curlers in your fur?" My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as the dark brown wolf turned around in circles a few times, searching for the offending paraphernalia. Giving up, he sat back down and just shrugged his front legs forward.

"Fucking shit! Do you mean to tell me that last night in front of the leeches you had those in your coat?" The fucker was imitating Vatan, snickering at my outrage.

"Beautiful, Quil, just beautiful. Scary warrior werewolves labeled as pansies because of your hair regime. I cannot believe you wear shit like that. Does Claire know?" He nodded his head casually. I could almost hear the word duh roll from his lips.

"Of course she does, why would I think otherwise? Have I told you how messed up the two of you are? Next you'll tell me she paints your nails." Slapping my hand over my eyes, I wasn't fast enough to miss as he stretched his paws apart in search of a tale tell sign I was being mordacious about.

"Forget it. I don't want to know. Anything new with vamps?" His legendary snort of No allowed me to drop my hand and attempt to concentrate on why I was out here to begin with.

"Good, good. After tonight it should be a little easier. Once Bella knows hopefully we can get rid of the leeches once and for all." I was so busy musing over the possibilities I failed to notice my mate step outside onto the deck. The sudden whistle of a projectile through the air caused every hair on my body to stand up. Quil yelped in surprise before trying to turn around. Collapsing to the ground his eyes closed and stayed shut.

"Did you shoot him?" Two more impact sounds occurred before I could even understand what I had asked or what was happening. The sound of Bella's voice had me moving towards her in slow motion. Fate was crowing like Lee Harvey Oswald from the rooftop.

"Jacob! Come on, get in the house. I don't know how long it will take to be effective." Bella had reached me or maybe I had reached and she was tugging at my hand frantically. It almost felt like she was trying to pull me somewhere.

"You shot him?" _Why is Quil sleeping on my back porch? Am I dreaming? _

"Yes. Now hurry up please." Somehow Bella and I ended up in my living room, staring out the window at a sad looking mimicry of Snuffleupagus. _What happened to his nose and when had Big Bird become so violent? _This had to be just a dream. In fact those other fuzzy images could well indeed be Fate wresting with The Count. _Maybe I could help, throw out a few logarithms._

"Did you kill him?" I asked Bella. Any minute and Oscar the Grouch would could hopping out in his trashcan. _Could I interest you __in a Vatan?_ The creepy little monster was practically knocking himself unconscious, trying to burst through the window to his fallen lover. I was ready to giggle.

"I hope not. But I've never seen a wolf so large before. Dosing can be kind of tricky but usually with larger creatures its not as fatal." Bella's tone morphed into Fate playing the theme song to The Real World changing the lyrics to accommodate werewolves and imprints. Suddenly I felt sick and not like I had shared one to many desserts with Cookie Monster. _Can I borrow your can, Grouch?_

"How much did you dose him with? Is he gonna live?" _Oh my god. My imprint killed a pack member!_

"Usually one dart will take down a 200 pound animal for a few minutes. If he has rabies or some other illness it can affect the metabolism of the drug. I'd guess him to weigh at least 400 pounds." Bella's use of the word usually sent me closer to the ledge of panic.

"But you shot him! Three times!" _In the ass!_

"It's not a proportional dosing. Anything under fifty pounds and dosing would have to be more exact. Anything over two hundred pounds, well it's better to be safe than sorry." _Sorry about covers it. _I had to get a grip on myself, the inner dialogues weren't helping.

"Why do you have a tranquilizer gun?" I asked her. Fate was waring against the voices in my head. My Bella had turned into a Mrs. Smith. Fate thought it was sexy and I was pretty sure this would be the downfall to get us both kicked off tribal land and disowned.

"Jacob. I'm a vet, one that recently suffered from an attack. For my own piece of mind I carry a tranq gun now." Bella came up and wrapped her arms around me.

"I was so scared, Jacob. I thought it would attack before I could get the gun." Her worrying tone and loving gesture caused me to snap out of the funk. So Quil had been shot, he would wake up. Eventually. Smiling down at her, I tried for one last reassurance.

"He wouldn't have hurt me." Kissing her on top of the head, I started to lead us away from the window. Bella stopped me, not being done with the conversation.

"You don't know that. That's an undomesticated animal. At any moment it could have ripped your throat out. Oh..." Bella released me and I stood there kind of stunned as I watched her head upstairs at a fast pass. Just as quickly she returned carrying some type of small medical bag she was digging through.

"What are you doing?" No one had been seriously hurt and I was doubting that a tranq dart required the use of a band-aid. I wasn't expecting Bella to clear it up so inhumanly.

"I need to get measurements. That wolf is really big, I need to see if it's healthy or maybe came in contact with something to cause such a change." She pulled out the instrument of shame and every muscle, and I mean EVERY muscle in my body clenched at the sight.

"What is that?" My voice was quivering in fear. Both of us should have been packing to move far,far, away.

"Jacob, come on. Surely you've seen a thermometer before..." Hell yeah I had seen them before. But medical science had made wonderful improvements, inventing an ear thermometer. The archaic device Bella was brandishing should have been outlawed. As I contemplated implementing a full banishment on such things, Fate flashed me in its trench coat. There were plenty more where that one came from. I was trying really hard to concentrate on what my imprint was saying.

"...if his temp is abnormal I'll at least know that he's sick." My hearing went out again.

_My imprint wants to probe __Quil's ass. _At this moment I wanted to be anywhere else in the world: lingerie shopping with my dad, stuck in a pit with a hundred starving vampires, even back in eighth grade when I had to do an equation on the board while sporting a woody. Any one of those locations would be a million times better than trying to explain to my imprint why she couldn't violate Quil. Keeping my hands around the belt of Fate's coat, I tried for sensible.

"Honey, that's not necessary. Wolves get that size around here, it's normal."

"Jacob, no they don't! That thing is a giant. It'll only take a few minutes and then we can be back inside where it's safe. By now the drug is at it's fullest, another few minutes and it will start wearing off." She walked to the patio door and easily I caught her, turning her around to face me.

"Bella, you can't go out there and start molesting the poor creature. He's fine, healthy even." _Physically. Please don't ask about mentally._

"You're not going to let me go out there?" I shook my head in the negative. If this conversation went much further the imprint factor would be tricky to navigate. Fate couldn't write the imprint amendments fast enough.

"Well, then you do it. I just need you to take a few pictures, get his temperature and measure his body and muzzle length and width, the diameter of his paws and oh, cut a small piece of his fur. Try to get a sample from somewhere on his stomach as close to the follicle as you can." Bella was giving me a look similar to begging and I didn't feel a single ounce of remorse in denying her. Fate stared hungrily at the camera and thermometer.

"Bella, I can't. It's against tribal law to interfere with wolves. They are viewed as a sacred animal and we are not to disturb them." _Or grease th__em for probes. _

The argument continued and I did my damnedest to purge myself of all visuals. Fate was no help, showering me with articles like 'Warming the Wolf' and 'Lube Lupine' It took me almost an hour to get Bella to calm down over the wildlife in the area and an equal amount of time to control Fate . Stepping back to the window overlooking the backyard, Quil had vanished. Another thirty minutes and we made our way to the beach. Not before I made sure Bella's gun was far from sight. If she ever went back to work, I would return it. On a reservation with friendly werewolves it would be a quick friendship killer. This day had hit an all time low and it was barely noon. I was hoping our evening would improve drastically. Sadly I missed the actions of Fate, who was busy making bumper stickers that read 'Proud Pup Proctologist'.


	18. Brothers Fate

Setting out our towels, I left Bella for a minute to go talk to some of the pack and ask about Quil. Paul, Leah and Brady had no idea and after I informed them of the earlier mishap they all rolled in laughter. Brady's sudden intake of breath had me spinning around to see what had caught their notice. Bella had removed her shorts and top to reveal her bathing suit.

I would forever love sunsets. Her bikini was a combination of soft pinks, yellows and oranges, perfectly resembling the sun in its last stages before dusk. There were no frills, adornments or lace, just blissfully small triangles of light. Bella had plaited her hair into two braids each hanging over her shoulders and the picture she presented beat anything ever seen in a Sports Illustrated magazine. As she turned around to stare out at the sea, I almost forgot we were at a public beach. Leah's not so subtle comment rectified that blunder.

"Holy shit! You picked one hell of a fuck buddy. Old Billy's gonna have a stroke once he realizes you're trying to pass that off as an imprint. Of course, I can see why you chose her. Hell, if I was into chicks, I'd want to fuck her too." I closed my eyes at the gasps from Brady and Paul over Leah's audacity. Counting out thirty different ways to strangle Fate, I took a deep breath before answering.

"Could you shut up? My father has already accepted my imprint or else we wouldn't be here."

"Sure there, sport. That is exactly the type of bed bunny you have been snaring your entire life. The only reason the pack accepts it is for the connection you have when phased. The elders are going to be thinking otherwise though."

"Do you think the elders would have a ceremonial bonfire tonight if they doubted this?"

"If they know what she looks like, they'd insist on it just to be that much closer to eye fuck her."

"Fuck off, Leah. Keep that shit on silent. You damn well know the issue of acceptance is pretty much a closed subject. Whatever crap non-pack members think is trivial. Try to remember you are human and behave. I hold no qualms over sending you out to patrol for the next twelve hours. Now, I'd like to introduce her to her soon to be new life." Leah gave me a Vatan worthy glare while Paul sauntered off, hopefully to contain my sister who was several hundred feet away with her Threat-Con Threesome.

Walking up behind Bella, I wrapped my arms around her. Kissing her softly on the shoulder, both of us watched the gentle swells of the ocean. Everything was so peaceful out here, a true paradise of nature. I could stand like this forever, two bodies intertwined to form the perfect unbreakable bond. My fingers started caressing her abdomen and Bella sighed contently at the contact.

"Jesus, get a fucking room already. Are you going to do introductions or feel her up all day? I do have better things to do than watch live soft porn." Sighing over Leah's subsonic, abrasive comment, I asked Bella if she wanted to meet some of the people present. Nodding happily, she turned around and took my hand, waiting for me to take direction. _Might as well get the worst out of the way._ I thought, leading her to Leah and Brady.

"What the hell is that smell?" Leah barked out in way of a greeting, having decided to test my patience twice in one day. "It's bitter." She wrinkled her nose and Bella laughed.

"You guys must have heightened senses or something; all I can smell is the ocean." Bella's laughter was the only thing that kept me out of Leah's face. Bella stuck her hand out to shake Leah's and grudgingly she reciprocated.

Brady jumped in next, practically pushing Leah out of the way. He was a nice young man and like most, extremely happy his Alpha had found his mate. Within five minutes he had led Bella over to his wife. I was surprised how well he accepted her. I let her mingle a few minutes before leading Bella away to meet the rest of the pack. Sara, Claire and Rachel were already sprawled out on towels, ignoring everyone for the most part. It wouldn't be long before Leah joined them and my poor imprint wouldn't have a chance at self preservation. Deciding to leave the witches alone with a panting Fate, I left Bella with Emily's crowd. The guys were setting up a volleyball net and I wanted to join the game, so Bella wouldn't feel smothered.

The game started like most: Leah, Quil, Embry, Ash, and Seth were on my team. Sam's team's had Paul, Jared, Justin, Colin, and Brady. Some of the other wolves were off to enjoy the water and all of the player's mates were lounging around the net, tossing out suggestions and quips over our game. It wasn't until Sara started sarcastically laughing that I realized Fate had left Bella with the three troublemakers. Whatever Sara had said left my Bella blushing. I missed the serve as it crashed into my head causing the opposing side to cheer in victory.

"Head in the game, Big A. Stop staring at your girl's tits." Paul's comment earned him a glower and Bella to blush even more. Rachel smirked at me before pointing to her eyes and then to me, ending with her shooting me the bird. I spent the rest of the game aiming the volleyball for Paul's dick. If my poor imprint had to suffer then no way were Rachel and Paul getting out of this unscathed.

Two long games later and the sun had passed swiftly. People started to drift home to change as the temperature slowly started to fall. Picking up our things, I leaned over a sleeping Bella to rub the back of her neck before speaking.

"Honey, come on, let's go home and change. We'll come back in a little bit." She stretched, rolled over and blinked a few times.

"Okay." She replied, still lying there. Crouching down in front of her, I stared at her face to face. She was so adorable, still half asleep. After a few more minutes she smiled, got up and picked up her towel. Walking several paces behind her, I couldn't help but admire the view. My lips twitched while I thought about kissing all of that exposed skin and the areas still concealed. I lived barely a quarter mile from where the gatherings occurred but it felt like the longest hike in history. Forty years in the desert with a robed man couldn't have felt this torturous. _Damn my dick for having a mind of its_ _own._ We finally made it to the house and the cold air wrapped around us as I dropped our beach gear to the floor.

"Oh my gosh, it's cold in here." Bella embraced her arms around herself and rubbed her arms. My eyes found a new target as her pose accentuated her breast. The tiny triangles of cloth did nothing to hide the response of her firm mounds tautly pressed against the thin material.

"Come here," I murmured. Reaching out to hug her, I picked her up, supporting her thighs around my waist. "Let's go take a shower." Kissing her from the shoulder inwards, I practically ran upstairs and into the bathroom not waiting for a response.

Lowering her to the ground, one of my arms blindly groped for the faucet while the other remained firmly around her. Bella's tongue was moving slowly and with a purpose as she daintily trailed it across my chest. She was as turned on as I was; there wasn't a luckier wolf alive. I pulled back to look at her.

"I have wanted to do this since you first revealed this riveting sunset to me earlier." Taking hold of her left braid, I slowly unwound it before repeating the action with the right one. When her hair was unleashed from the restraints, I ran my fingers through it, starting at her scalp and stroking downwards. It fanned out around her in a glorious cloud of soft waviness. My hands traveled back up to her neck where a cord held my prizes hostage.

"You are..."I started, untying the first cord from around her neck before releasing the one around her back, "one of the most..." placing both of my hands on each side of her hips, I released the last tethers, "beautiful creatures on the planet." I went to remove my shorts and Bella gave me a grin before jumping into the shower. One area was just as good as another for my intended purpose.

Stepping in behind her, I slid the glass door closed fully encasing us in the humidity. Bella had her head tilted back, letting the water course through as I leaned over to feast on what was offered. My right hand tugged and palmed her left breast as my mouth devoured her right globe. Hungrily I suckled the pert flesh, leaving marks of affection as her sighs of pleasure encouraged me. I needed to taste more of her and as sexy as she looked with the water streaming down her flesh I didn't want her essence to be diluted.

Turning her around so that my back was to the spray, I silently dropped to my knees. As my lips and tongue traveled from her breasts, downwards they danced over her erogenous zones. The muscles in her abdomen tightened as my tongue stroked across her bikini line. My descent was an arousing sexual torture. Dipping me head lower, her fingers gripped my hair as my mouth hovered in between her thighs. Breathing deeply I absorbed her arousing aroma. With my hands holding on to her hips, my fingers circled around to knead the flesh of her perfectly rounded ass. I exhaled hotly my breath calling to her body. Bella moaned in anticipation and I could see the moisture gather just waiting for my tongue to collect it. Slowly my lips grazed her, the liquid collecting on them like a balm.

I pulled back minutely to tease myself as I licked the prize on my lips. Desperately Bella tugged on my hair in an effort for me to continue. I couldn't deny either of us any longer as I captured her sex in my mouth lapping in slow controlled movements. Her most sensitive spot swelled with desire and as I sucked on it almost violently my tongue flitted over her clit. My lips performed their own massage on her soft, pink flesh while my fingers clenched and relaxed repetitively to pull her closer. Bella came, hard and fast her body convulsing wildly for me. I was content to stay this way for awhile, greedily enjoying my reward as she quivered and panted. Her voice didn't stop my action but I looked up at her to be met with lust filled eyes.

"Jacob, it's my turn." I didn't want to stop but the imprint factor was not going to deny this request. Give her one last nip and lick, I stood up.

Bella seemed to slink down the wall to her knees in front of me. The sight alone almost caused me to cum. She wasted no time in firmly grabbing me and licking the head of my dick in an exquisite pattern before taking it fully into her mouth. My hands hovered over her shoulders before resting lightly on them and kneading. Lowering my gaze, her eyes met mine as her cheeks hollowed on the down strokes and then constricted on the return movements. I came a lot faster than she had and even though I was ready to say we were tied and should move on to the next event, Bella continued her task.

"Baby, come on. Let's move to the bed." _Or we can stay here. _Bella continued with her sensual torture bringing me dangerously close to release again. Seconds before my body erupted in bliss, she released me and stood up. Turning off the impromptu waterfall, she grabbed my neck for another searing kiss.

Grabbing a towel I wrapped it around her back as her legs gripped my waist. She was trying to use the ends to wipe away errant trails of water on my chest. Depositing her on the bed, I turned around to grab a condom off of the nightstand. Vatan had cleared everything from the top and I swooped down to pick up the box and pull one out before turning back to Bella. She had flipped over and was on all fours facing away from me. The height of the bed frame made for perfect alignment as I broke every record known to man in the speed department for putting on prevention.

This was another submissive position and the wolf inside stirred aggressively. Stepping up behind her, I ran my hands over her silky ass before lining up and slowly pushing my way into her core. Bella slammed back into me, fully impaling herself and I realized she wanted to play with the wolf.

"Is this what you want?" Slowly I pulled back out and then pushed in, feeling her body grip me.

"Jacob, please." Bella was fighting to increase the movement and I held on fast to her hips.

"Please what? Don't you like this?" Both of us were trembling at the slow pace I had set. She started to answer me as I leaned over and ran my tongue up from the middle of her back to her neck.

"Yes, but...oh god!" The wolf had won in battle to my urges and I gave in fully. Despite wanting to last I thought of nothing but the beautiful woman in front of me. She gave everything of herself to me and at this moment the least I could do was give her lasting pleasure.

We had never had sex this rough and I was kind of sorry we hadn't. The moans of pleasure from both of us were ear shattering and as the orgasms ripped through her, I felt the wolf inside gear up. With one final thrust, I came over and over, draining both my seed and pleasure before nearly collapsing on top of Bella. We lay there, panting and grinning. Well, I wasn't grinning. I didn't think I had even enough energy left to move much less smile. After a few more minutes, I pulled away to clean up before collapsing back on the bed next to Bella. Both of us dozed in bliss before the furry monster joined us to demand his dinner. Realizing it was later than expected, we rushed to get ready.

The sun had set an hour ago and once again we went down to the beach for the ceremony. I almost felt guilty, watching Bella search for her little gun of fun. I could tell she was hesitant to venture outside in the dark but I wasn't about to let that stop us. I couldn't help but admire her casual jeans and tight fitting hoodie. I could have done without the emblem on it: A presentation of the forbidden fruit, an apple. It was creepy, like the snake in Eden offering condemnation to the unsuspecting and foolishly deceived. _Where the hell do I come up with this shit?_ Giving myself a mental shake, my hand reached out to stroke Bella's braided hair as we started on the path to the fire pit.

"Honey, you should leave your hair down. It's so beautiful." Bella shuddered noticeably, kind of like a window shutter but not in an inanimate way.

"Jake, I already told you, I always wear it up or back when I'm at the beach. It's really windy too; I don't want to spend all night trying to remove it out of my face as the wind plays havoc with it. Plus that close to a fire with loose locks? I'd rather not spend the rest of the month in a hospital being treated for third degree burns." I couldn't help but scowl at that. Like I'd let her get hurt by anything, much less something as mundane as a bonfire. Bella leaned over to softly address her main concern.

"Plus, if my hair looks different people might think that we had sex." Her blush was evident and my mood improved.

"Come on, Bella. People are going to think I'm a eunuch if we didn't have sex. You are too damn sexy to pass up on." I couldn't stop the grin following that statement. Bella stopped walking and faced me with a semi-serious/nervous expression.

"I'm sure people know we are having sex but that's different than knowing specifically that we went home and actually did." Well, if our activities hadn't left the shower, we might have had a shot there. As it was, to a werewolf, we both carried the scent of having just spent time pleasing each other. A lot. It wasn't bad; with a pack this size, more than one at any given time could be identified as having just left the bedroom. I couldn't help but strut a little knowing that I affectionately carried my mate's inner scents. Unknowingly she bore mine as well and the pack would acknowledge it as a sign of respect. I never even noticed Fate with the bottle of Febreeze.

Everyone sat around the traditional pit absorbing the warmth it provided from the winds blowing across the Pacific. My father wasted no time beginning with the legends of our tribe. As a pack, this scenario replicated every one of the last eight times we had done this. The rustling of marshmallow bags could be heard as people whispered softly to each other. We weren't ten minutes into the legend when more then half of the pack's mates gasped in surprise. Pulling my mind away from the goddess sitting in front of me I looked for the source. Jared was trying to unsuccessfully blow out the twelve flaming balls of charring glucose. Giving me an apologetic look he gave up and shoved the whole stick into the flames before grabbing a new one and reattempting the same process with a lower number of casualties.

I couldn't blame him. By this point the stories were kind of boring. The only people at all who were interested in them were Bella, who sat in wide eyed wonder; my father and Quil Sr. who were the story tellers; and the remaining Council. The Elders were excited at the prospect of entertaining a new victim of lore; well fact, but that was still debatable to the intended. The flaming balls of sugary fluff did hold an appeal to the rest of us, especially where Collin and Brady were concerned. Watching those two compete to see who could eat a still semi lit marshmallow was hysterical.

I sat there trying not to fidget while waiting for story time to be over so I could start a disturbing task of explaining my furry talent. All logic needed to be thrown out, it didn't exist where myths occurred. Bella was a vet obviously she liked science. Maybe she'd just be really excited. Unfortunately while there was a science aspect to it, it couldn't be shared with the world. There was also a metaphysical element that most would blow off. Fuck, why did she have to be a vet? This shit would be a lot easier if she was an art history major or a literary major. Anything that lacked science in it. At this moment I felt like one of those hick farmers about to release a press conference explaining the crop circles and alien abductions. I kept my eyes far away from Quil, not wanting to relive the probing aspect to that analogy.

Quil Sr. took over the tale. Nudging Seth for some marshmallows, I leaned forward to whisper in Bella's ear. "Do you want a marshmallow?"

She turned to look at me. Her wonderment filtered to dubiousness as she eyed the flames and then a frantic Brady who for the third time realized the glowiness of the marshmallow was hot. Turning back to me again she shrugged noncommittally. I couldn't help but chuckle while once again whispering to her.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure it's extinguished before I give it to you." She simply nodded, once again wrapped up in the story as Quil Sr. explained the significance of an imprint. Emily handed me a sharpened tree branch and as I speared a few white puffs, Rachel reappeared with Claire. Each went to their respective mate and their grins were not comforting. Rachel shoved a tiny note to Paul and my gaze narrowed as his face brightened in malaise. I pulled Bella a little closer to me as I watched Paul place a new marshmallow on the tip of his spear. Holding it directly in the fire it blazed instantly. Pulling it out, he slowly raised his arm back with the stick like a fisherman with a pole. With a quick snap of his wrist, the marshmallow went flying over bonfire and hitting Seth in the head. It wasn't long before the air was full of shooting incendiary clouds. I wasn't going to join the game but I let it be known there would be hell to pay if so much as a single puff landed next to me.

Grabbing a graham cracker for her fully cooked treat I handed it to her watching as she hesitantly blew on it before taking a bite. She ate about half of it before frowning and handing it back to me. Sighing I wondered what disgusting flavor I had forgotten to add to it: Pickles? Clam sauce? Mayo? I didn't even want to dwell on what horrors the vamps may have used to turn a delightful campfire ritual into a prison poison.

Twenty minutes later and story time was over. Several people got up to stretch and mingle No one would leave until I bid them to. Maybe having more than one person vouch for the validity of werewolves would help Bella believe better.

Bella stood up and stretched herself turning to come stand directly in front of me. I held open my arms indicating she should sit in my lap. Readjusting so that both of her legs fell to one side so she was sideways, I nuzzled her neck placing small kisses along the left side of her collar bone. I was stalling, wondering what my opening statement should be. Fate had to be off body surfing, it was the only conclusion I could come up with as Bella innocently began the topic.

"I never realized how interesting your history is. I always figured werewolves came from a European background. To think that Native Americans have their own views on a similar phenomenon."

"Yeah, about that...it's actually true." Throwing it out there, I waited for some questions. Fate materialized out of thin air.

"Maybe in bed," _Definitely in bed._ "But do you honestly expect me to believe you guys turn into raving monsters of the night?" _Yes? No? Maybe?_ "And the term used, the cold ones. That seems pretty accurate." Every single wolf froze. I didn't know if her words should make me happy or upset.

"What do you know?" I asked somewhat evenly. Maybe this was going to be easier than I had thought.

"It's not a secret, Jake. Everyone knows. Gosh, they start teaching that in kindergarten." Bella was looking at me like I had failed to go to school. I kind of felt like it, I was lost.

"Teach what?"

"The cold ones. That was a pretty accurate description, especially how the term and ideas flowed into a story that has survived for generations with your tribe. To think, the early settlers took so much from indigent tribes. It really was a tragedy." She stated it like reading from a textbook and I fought with Fate to get back on the correct path.

"Bella, the cold ones aren't humans, they're monsters. The likes of which, make the boogeyman look like a fairy god mother."

"Well, yeah. I can see where it might appear they were monsters. I mean they practically took everything from your people and left disease, death and chaos in their wake."

"Seriously, Bella, the cold ones refer to vampires, blood sucking monsters. We are werewolves, born to protect our people from the parasitic leeches that are real and exist in the here and now." I couldn't say it any clearer and to my horror realized Fate was acting as an interpreter again.

"Wow, you guys still have some serious issues with those containing a paler skin tone." Suddenly her voice dropped, flooded with nervousness. "This is why you were so hesitant to bring me here, huh? Do they hate me based on my ancestry?"

"No, honey. No one hates you. But I swear on our love, all of it is true."

"Really?" Bella perked up instantly with her question and I was elated it was going so well. Maybe Fate was off scrounging up the lost Molotov-mallows.

"Yes." I nodded my head in the affirmative along with the rest of the pack. Oddly enough Fate held up a bunch of werewolf bobble heads.

"Sure, okay. Hey did I tell you I had dinner with Bigfoot, Nessie and a chupacabra last week? He says he likes the nickname Chewy. Anyway, they feel sorely misrepresented amongst all of the werewolves and vampires. Chewy asked if you'd stop by sometime and say hi. " Knowing Fate, I didn't doubt her statement at all. I shot a warning glare at Quil who was being detained by Embry. The pack would undoubtedly hear all about Quil's 'Chewy' later.

"What about imprinting? Do you think it's just some old wives tale?"

"Of course not, Jacob. I think it's really endearing the spin your tribe has put on soul mates and love. Maybe a little off track but things are quite often lost in translations."

"So you don't think that we're soul mates?"

"Yes, sweetie. I think we could quite possibly be soul mates, the type that your legends make reference to. But," and here she laughed, "I seriously hope you haven't truly imprinted on me."

"Why?" Fate fed my heart to the meat grinder. She didn't believe me and I felt like she was unintentionally making fun of our relationship.

"Jacob, imprinting is what occurs in the animal kingdom to offspring. It's a teaching mechanism for young to emulate the parents in ways to survive. You saying that you have imprinted on me either means you are looking for me to teach you life skills like eating, bathing, learning not to run out in the middle of the freeway or that I am way off base and you really want to be a girl." Bella was laughing and I had serious doubts that it was because Fate came dancing out like Ru-Paul.

"What would I have to do to prove it?"

"You don't have to. I already know you can take care of yourself. And," She leaned in to whisper into my ear, "after our past activities from earlier, I'm pretty sure you are happy being a guy." Bella's luscious reminder had me wishing this was all just a lark. One that I could suddenly end and we could go home to partake of more appropriate desires. I fought of the wolf's horniness.

"Bella, look at me. I am dead serious. This is no longer a game."

"Can you prove it?" She inquired almost defiantly, all of her previous cheerfulness gone. I sighed, knowing this was coming. I mean, no one would willingly believe that their boyfriend is something more than a human. I tried for one last piece of evidence.

"Bella, you saw for yourself. The wolf from earlier, it was Quil." I spoke placidly and her eyes widened before narrowing in doubt.

"Jacob, you're being ridiculous. Yes, that was a really large wolf, but a werewolf? Give me a little credit." I don't think I had ever been more grateful then at a time like this. Both Embry and Ash were wrestling with Quil to keep his pants on. At this point, Quil flashing his ass to Bella would do nothing more than deteriorate her already low impression of him.

"Do you want me to change right here and now?" Bella didn't notice but the rest of the pack had sent their loved ones back towards the main parking area out of sight of the bonfire. The elders were still present, but at a considerable distance.

"Fine. If you insist on carrying out this ridiculous charade so be it. Show me the fangs of doom."

"Wrong monster," I mumbled unsure if this was really the best idea. "Guys." I stated calmly. Instantly they lined up in an uncoordinated grouping around the fire.

Bella took notice of this, a frown of uncertainty on her face. A look that clearly said we had all just escaped the nearest mental institute and the men with straight jackets would be here shortly to take us away. Straightening her shoulders, she climbed off my lap, waiting. Her scientific mind wasn't going to accept anything but visual conformation. Fate cheered and ran off for measuring devices.

"Leah," I called out, pointing to the forest line. "Please go phase and approach slowly." Defeat was in my voice.

I wasn't ashamed and Bella had the right to see but I had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing. This wasn't like going to the zoo to see animals on display in a cage. This would be not only as up close and personal as one could get, but once realization dawned on her the truth of what I, we are would be irrefutable.

"Why the fuck should I? Your ass is just as capable as anyone else here." Fate was clinging onto Leah's back like a habit forming spider monkey.

"Because this is a stressful situation and while we are all huge you happen to be the smallest of the pack." Because when shit hit the fan I at least wanted Bella to remember that I was human still, sort of. That despite my odd genetic flare up it was an honor or blessing and not a ruse or curse.

Fate obviously had its ventriloquist act down pat through Leah. Then again, maybe not. Everyone gave Leah a wide berth. She was a malignant deity all on her own. Fate would surely attempt to recruit such a specimen.

"I cannot believe this shit. Put on a fucking show for the newest fly in the web. Smallest my ass. Should have Embry do it, he clearly has no balls..." Her rant continued as she vanished into the trees.

Looking at Bella, the unease she was emitting nearly choked me. Our eyes staying locked together, I could sense Leah's approach in the background. She was close enough to the flames to deftly clarify what Bella was about to see. My eyes flicked to Leah and back to Bella, a silent hint for her to turn around and witness. The sudden crackling of a twig in the fire tore Bella's gaze away. She blinked once, slowly before twisting her body in the direction of the wolf.

I heard the exact millisecond her mind registered what was there. Bella's heart took off dangerously fast as her body stiffened at the sight. Nobody moved or even breathed as beast and human studied each other. Bella relaxed her body as Leah stood up and inched closer to us. As the distance shortened, Bella's posture made sense; she was treating this like an occurrence with a natural wolf by attempting to play the part of subordinate.

I wanted to reach out and touch Bella, let her know I was still here and everything was okay. But her heart was still racing and I feared that by touching her I would drawl her out of her protective trance. Reminding myself that this was probably going to take some time, I refrained from interference. Leah was less than five feet away and as she made another step forward, Bella decided this was close enough. Despite our assurance that nothing would happen, Bella took a counter step to match Leah's forward ones.

Leah should have had more common sense then her Fate-monkey. Bella took another retreating shuffle and Leah pushed forward. It was an autonomic response on my part. Before even thinking about possible consequences my hand shot out to smack Leah firmly on her snout. She replied in kind with a nasty growl and that was the end.

I caught Bella as she slipped down, holding my fury at bay. Her heart was banging against her ribcage with such force, I could almost hear the impact against her breastplate. The rest of the pack hesitated in groupings, unsure of a response. Seth and Sam began arguing before Seth pushed him away and approached. I spoke before he could say anything.

"Don't you dare say one word to defend your sister. I don't know why this is some sort of sick joke to all of you and I don't care." I knew he could hear me whisper, but Seth froze as though I had yelled.

"Jacob, calm down please. It was an accident. Let me take Bella over to the girls while we discuss this." He stood a good distance away with his arms outstretched like I was just going to toss over Bella.

"Discuss what? The chronic immature behavior of all of you?" Ignoring his concern, I walked away from the fire setting her down in the sand.

No one understood my emotional turmoil. Despite being unconscious, Bella's heart beat so fast I worried about it suddenly seizing. Paul and Jared closed in on Leah, thinking I was about to turn wolf and attack. I was too far gone to phase, the wolf mind wouldn't be able to handle this type of emotion. Whatever feelings I currently harbored impeded the ability to call the wolf. Sam approached us, Emily in tow.

With slow precise movements, Emily, with Sam a shadow to her, crouched down on the other side of Bella. She placed two fingers against Bella's Jugular vein timing her pulse. I don't know what she thought she could do to help. I planned on just taking Bella home and waking her there in the comfort of a familiar surrounding.

"Jake, it would be best if you just let her sleep. Let her mind and body catch up. She'll probably wake up on her own in a little while and then you can explain this again minus the drama." Emily's voice was meant to be soothing and caring. I wasn't in the mood. Opening my mouth to snarl snidely, Sam was suddenly in front of her.

"Jacob, don't be a hypocrite. She's right, you know. Leave with Bella and we can come over later when the dust has settled. I understand your frustration.." I cut him off.

"No, I'm pretty sure you don't. My girlfriend has fainted from sheer terror and even now her heart sounds like it's going to explode. All of you were easily accepted by your imprints. You didn't have to introduce them into this fucked up society we have. None of you, for one single moment, had to worry that your soul mate would reject you. Hell, none of you fuckers had to worry that your own family would reject you. Not a single other wolf here had to convince the council that you imprinted; it was accepted at face value. Yet here I stand, having to go through all of this, alone. Have you even fully grasped the other half of it? Her family, the ones she refers to as siblings and parents are vampires. Their whole damn coven resembles some type of Edgar Allen Poe Brady Brunch. Just what the fuck do you think is going to happen when we have to reveal that to her, huh?"

"Jake, we are here for you. What do you want us to do? We can't change the circumstances of Bella's family or of her bloodlines. We can tell the Elders that they are wrong all we want but that doesn't necessarily make them believe us. How do we make this better for her? For you? Just say it and we'll comply. Not because we have to or because you command us to. We offer to because we are family. You don't need to convince us of the difficulties. We may not specifically understand every struggle but we will be there for you. Let us help."

The rest of the pack was nodding and agreeing to what Sam had said. I sighed not knowing where to go with the conversation from here. I felt a small tremble from Bella and looked down to see she was still out and apparently cold. Even unaware, her body craved to be closer to me; her conscious may have doubts about our solidarity but her soul knew it belonged with me. Even in mental anguish, I smiled at the action.

"I have already tried to impress upon all of you the importance of taking this slow. Bella doesn't know or understand any of you. I'm surprised she's stuck around this long. For every step forward I make, you guys set me back. Until she fully accepts and understands our dynamics, back off. Talk to your imprints and make them understand as well. If you wish for us to remain then don't make her feel uncomfortable or unwanted. None of this is her fault and if help is needed I expect it to be provided unquestioningly. Now please excuse us while I take my mate home and try to undo any damage she may have over this."

Quil stepped forward. "Dude, I already took one for the team. No, fuck that! I took three for the team, right in the ass." He started to fumble with his pants again and I had to stop him.

"No, Quil, you did nothing for our team. In fact I saved you from that by not allowing Bella to play vet with you. But you know what? When Bella says she'd like to examine a wolf further, I'll make sure to let her know you volunteered for the service." Nobody else said a word.

Both Sam and Emily stepped away as I picked up Bella to return home. The walk was short and quick, and by the time I reached the backyard her heart had slowed to a more reasonable pace. Opening the patio door, I felt her twitch again. Looking down, I hoped to see her waking. She hadn't, her body had simply turned closer to me from the coolness of the air. Once in our room, I stripped both of our clothes before arranging us into a sleeping position. I stayed awake a long time waiting for her to rouse. By one in the morning my eyes became heavy and I fell asleep.

My lids snapped open like a shade recoiling. Bella was still slumbering and I sought out the clock: 6:13 a.m.. Using almost every sensory receptor, I couldn't hear, see or smell anything out of the ordinary. Minutes passed and my alertness faded as Bella's heart lulled me back to sleep. Only Fate could accomplish a heist in a wolf's house.


	19. Criss Fate

7:17 a.m. Damn, it wasn't Fate this time. What the hell was rousing me from sleep? The same sounds and scents that were supposed to be present were. I could have sworn I had felt a slight shifting as once again I found myself awake. My eyes immediately sought out Bella only to realize she was still curled partially around and on me. Her head rested directly over my heart while one of her legs was draped over my thigh. Her breathing was too shallow for her to be awake and it occurred to me that something else was missing. While my hands traced along her back, more as a comfort to myself, I studied the atmosphere around us. For the most part, the house was utterly silent. The small buzz of electricity emitting from the alarm clock, a slight hum of the refrigerators on both lower floors, even the minuscule creaks of the house settling were all normal sounds and should not have piqued my interest. Jesus, it was only half past seven and I was awake, by myself, for no reason.

Sighing, I exhaled and then inhaled sharply. My house recycled the heavenly aroma of Bella and her god-awful mutant, Vatan. _Oh, Shit!_ I scrambled to remember when the last time I had seen the color-coordinated leper. Usually he wasn't farther than five steps from Bella and he almost never slept anywhere but in the bed with us. The furry maggot, he lived to drone me into deafness with his purring and thought nothing of swishing his tail across my face. Bella thought it was cute and while I enjoyed her trivial pleasures, that one was disgusting. Linvan dragged his tail around like a damn security blanket, never lifting it off of the ground unless he was airborne. I'm sure Fate had given him extra points for rubbing it around in the litter box before dusting my face. Ugh, my stomach just turned at that particular practice.

I turned my thoughts back to the problem at hand. Where the hell was he? I listened intently for his tell tale wheezing or his thumping feet. _God, I hope he hasn't chosen today to kick the bucket!_ Not that I wouldn't have been thrilled. But after last night, if Bella didn't have a complete nervous breakdown, the death of her demon would surely send her over the edge.

Quietly untangling myself from Bella, I searched throughout the room inspecting every nook and cranny. Fate was right on my ass, reading the paper and snickering over the impossible locations. Not a corner or crevice in the house was left alone; even places too small for Vatan's fat ass to shimmy in and die were included. The monster had even managed to attach his scent to the washing machine, no doubt some trick he picked up from Quil. By the time I had scrounged through every bookcase, under the couches and had every cabinet door open, I had to concede: Dead or alive, he wasn't in the house at all. Vatan was now vamoose. Shit, what was I supposed to do? I needed to be here when Bella woke up. After little self debate I gave in and picked up the phone to call Brady. He had taken such a shining to Bella and had demonstrated he was extremely empathetic to my imprint struggles. Plus, I was counting on the fact that he would give me the least amount of shit about a missing Vandini. Hunched over in the downstairs bathroom with the water running, I felt like a demented James Bond. Not that I thought Bella was a bad guy but there were no doubts that Fate was undoubtedly upstairs trying to wake her up for this conversation. Even with the volume off, to me, each press of a button sounded like a countdown.

"Hello?" his voice was jagged and muffled. Giving less than a rat's ass worth of care, I tried to sound as forceful as possible while whispering.

"Brady, it's Jake. How soon can you get over to my place?" Watching the beam of light, occupying the space under the door, I waited for a shadow to indicate I had been caught.

"Jake?" the voice was garbled. Mentally sighing, I briefly wondered if my less then thrilling love of mornings had rubbed off onto the pack.

"Yes, it's me, you jackass. How many other Alphas call you on your phone?"

"Why are you whispering?" In a game of monkey-hear monkey-do, he was copying me. The man was an idiot; obviously I was whispering for self-preservation.

"There's been an emergency and I need help," I waited less than a few seconds before his voice came to full attention.

"Not a problem. I'll be there shortly," click. I simply stared at my phone. I had never heard a pack mate agree to something so willingly without knowing any specifics. Of course I had never made a secret phone call from the bathroom either. It couldn't have been Fate; they gained nothing from positive compliance. Before things could get any weirder, I found some clothes to wear.

In hind sight, I probably should have been a little more informative. Not only did an anxious Brady come stumbling through my door but a smirking Paul with an exasperated Sam in tow. Sam looked none too pleased as he argued into his cell phone.

"Emily, I just got here… No, I don't know if she's okay…Let me call you back…I love you too," snapping his phone shut, Sam stared at me expectantly. Brady was the first to speak, not giving me chance to start. Any previous thoughts I had of him vanished as soon as he began speaking.

"Look, uhh, we're not exactly sure what we can do to help a crazy person but we'll try to help you contain her…" he trailed off taking in my sudden scowl instinctively covering his crotch. Paul picked the conversation right back up.

"Oh, god! Is she dead? Man, you're going to bring the entire wrath of a coven of leeches down on us just because she flipped and you lost your temper." The trio took in my scowl turned horror expression to mean they had guessed correctly.

"No, you ass wipes. Now step the hell back outside so we can start this conversation properly. My Bella is still upstairs asleep; alive and well. She hasn't woken up yet and I'd like to detain that action for as long as possible." Pushing the hoodlums back outside and into the yard, I shut the door. Turning to my brothers, I addressed Sam. He had yet to say anything and had unlimited patience.

"Look, somehow in last night's cluster fuck, Bella's fur monster managed to escape from the house. Could you please go hunt down his conniving ass and bring him back here?" They stared at me, completely blank faced. I wasn't able to fully resume my scowl when all three of them burst into hysterical laughter, even Sam.

"You want us to," gasp, laugh, "to find a fucking cat?" Paul was in his element, wheezing out the question through his merriment. I was counting to five, starting at three, before I punched him where it would count.

"Seriously, could you keep it the fuck down? Bella will probably already be in panic mode when she wakes up and I'd really like to not have to add to it." Fate was winding up my arm to unleash when Sam stepped in to attempt diplomacy.

"Jacob, I apologize. Of course we'll help. I am greatly relieved this isn't as urgent as we all suspected. Let me call Emily and we'll-" Sam was cut off as his cell began to ring. Shooting me a half-smile while I glared, he took a step back and turned around to answer his phone. Emily's voice wafted through as he tried to explain to her that the crisis they had been expecting had yet to occur.

Paul picked right back up where Brady had sort of left off. "So why don't you just go find the fur baby yourself? He's probably out picking squirrels for you guys to go hunt together," his chuckling smirk fell as I reiterated to them my ever present concern.

"She hasn't woken up yet. If she'll still ever be willing to stay with me, I'd like to at least be here when she does wake up. Besides, if she freaks out as you so affectionately call it, how do you think she'll react when her boyfriend is gone and so is her precious pet? I may not be the first person she's interested in seeing this morning but you can bet your ass she'll want that fuzzy piece of road kill by her side."

"So go hunt for him yourself if he's that important. I really don't think you can afford to lose her trust when you tell her the cat got out on your watch." Paul made it sound so simple. Unfortunately for us, Fate had made this more difficult than attempting to ski off the peak of Mt. Everest. Short of death, the injury list couldn't get any higher. _Devil's Drop, here I come!_

"I'd also like to be immediately available in case she has any questions or wants to talk about last night. Do you really want to be here for that; when she figures out that not only am I gone but so is the demon? If you think she might be at all hysterical over werewolves, try multiplying it by one hundred to Vatan. You really will have a crazy lady on your hands. But hey if you want to be the messenger than by all means," I started to shrug out of my shirt only to stop at the sound of my retreating brothers. None of them wanted to deal with a raging female and all three turned and headed to the nearby trees.

"Heads up," I called throwing an object in their direction. Sam caught it and studied the object with a puzzling frown.

"Is this supposed to be bait?" Sam asked, holding up a bright pink fluorescent toy mouse.

"No, that's one of Vatan's favorite toys. I simply wanted you to be acquainted fully with just his scent," I explained. The way the three of them wrinkled their noses at it made me laugh. "Toss it back so I can hide it before…" I trailed off. No need to complete that sentence; they all knew that Bella seeing the mouse would simply remind her that much sooner of the missing wretch. Sam threw it back and then they were gone.

Walking back into the house I searched out a clock again. Half-past eight and already this day had turned into an epic-fail. What I wouldn't give to be able to crawl back into bed with my slumbering goddess. Just the thought of her leg draped over me and rubbing innocently against my thigh caused certain body parts to tighten. _Get a grip! _Okay wrong chose of words but there was no way I could slide back into bed and risk her waking up. Plus if the retrieval of the revolting animated powder puff went quickly then I would be forced to come back downstairs to thank my brothers. Determinedly, I grabbed a sketch book and started rudimentary drawings on a new project Boeing had requested. Six pages later, I dropped my pencil at the sound of Bella crawling out of bed.

Despite waiting and wanting her to wake up this morning, suddenly I didn't feel ready for the conversation that was about to take place. The call of her beautiful body overruled any mental doubts and up the stairs I sprinted, hoping for at least one more hug and kiss. She was actually still in bed when I entered the room, sitting up and displaying a look somewhere between ashamed and guilty. She didn't look terrified or pissed off but Fate and I both knew it was only a matter of time.

"Hi, honey," I whispered to her, easing into the room. She wasn't fully awake yet, still sitting in the bed and staring around the room. I really hoped she wasn't looking for the flea monster or maybe she was looking for a different fur monster entirely. It was hard to gauge her reaction as she sat there and I hadn't felt this awkward since first becoming a werewolf and found myself one morning curled around a fire hydrant, naked. Quil assured me he had disposed of the pictures but I had my doubts. Even werewolves aren't fully immune to the effects of Hawaiian Punch Ever Clear.

"Good morning, Jake," Bella yawned before stretching her arms up and relaxing her facial muscles. The blanket she had clasped around her fell into her lap to expose all of her upper body. I kept my eyes locked on her face but peripheral vision deceived me as it reported back to my dick what lay waiting just a few feet in front of me. Thank god I was still able to control my synaptic nerve impulses as I willed my feet and legs to stay stationary. Bella stopped stretching and in a single move managed to perform a twist/slide/crawl/slither thing for her feet to hit the floor. Completely upright she bent at waist level to pick up a t-shirt off of the floor and any control I might have had vanished as my own legs carried me over to stand behind her. As her body came back up, I wrapped my arm around her waist to pull her against me. She twirled around to hug me back and bury her head into my chest.

"Jake, I'm so sorry," she mumbled. I didn't realize I had her clasped so tightly against me that her face was kind of smushed into my chest. I pulled her back slightly so she could speak more clearly.

"Sorry about what, honey?" I finally asked since she wasn't speaking. She seemed to gather her thoughts before looking up at me.

"Well, I mean I don't usually drink enough to get more than a light buzz. I must have really been downing them last night I can't even remember there being alcohol. Did I make a complete fool of myself? I'm sorry about last night. Did you have to carry me home?" Flabbergasted was a new one and I found myself beating Fate upside the head with a thesaurus before answering her.

"Honey, there wasn't any alcohol last night. I did carry you home but trust me I didn't mind in the least."

"So why did you carry me home? You could have just awoken me up." My assurance to a lack of alcohol had wiped away her guilt and shame and I was in no hurry to see it come back.

"What's the last thing you remember from last night?" I asked, attempting the side-step method.

"Umm, well we were sitting around the fire and somewhere during the story I must have fallen asleep. Oh my gosh, you wouldn't believe the dream I had," she started to giggle before continuing. "I dreamed that you were trying to convince me all of the young people there last night were werewolves and then you tried to get Leah to change into one. Remember our first dinner when I told you dreams tell a lot about people? Well, obviously my mind was telling me to be cautious of Leah. I don't think she really likes me because in my dream she did turn into a wolf and tried to attack me or something. I don't really remember what happened after that." I tried to push away Fate as it came slyly dancing from out of the corner carrying a leash and collar that had nothing to do with canines and everything to do with a collection Quil had. _Focus Jake!_

"Bella, none of that was a dream; the Elders talked of the Quileute legends last night; legends that are in fact a reality." Bella continued to smile and was shaking her head. "Honey, look at me; look at all of my fellow tribe members. Have you ever seen such a collection of really tall young men? Did you see the interaction between everyone who had their mates present? The connection is there and complete. Feel my hand," I reached down and intertwined our fingers. "Can you feel it? Beyond the heat, can you feel the connection between us? Bella, I am a werewolf and I have imprinted on you. Not like a lower evolved mammal but like our legends stated. You are my mate and I love you. Can you accept this? Will you stay with me and love me? I promise never to hurt you or leave you or stop loving you. I want you to be with me so I can prove all of it, every day." I watched her eyes as she tried to grasp everything I had just said while wondering what the hell happened to my slow approach on last night's events. Fate cheered at the incoming interruption and I could hear Paul and Brady approaching, cussing up a storm. The third heartbeat with them was Vatan, not Sam, and he too was spewing forth his own type of verbal obscenities. There had to be something important to that but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why even as my brethren entered my house.

"Jake, get your ass down here! You owe us!" Bella cringed as his voice echoed throughout.

"Who's that?" she whispered, frozen to the spot.

"It's just Paul and Brady; I'll get rid of them and be right back, okay?" With a vacant look, she gave a slight nod. Leaning forward, I gave her a kiss meant to convey love and tenderness. "I promise, it'll be okay," turning around I left the room to find one smug looking, slightly pissed off, howling fur ball and two extremely pissed off werewolves. _Join the club._

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with this thing? He hasn't shut his fucking mouth for the past two miles and let me tell you he's one crafty fucker." Dropping him to the floor, Paul fumed at Vatan as we watched him back into a corner. I was seriously reconsidering the possibility of him being possessed; no way were the noises and snarls emitting from his throat a normal cat sound. It was like the monster could read my mind as he suddenly shut up mid cry and threw me an evil grin.

"Oh my god," Bella cried out having just come down the stairs. I had to wonder about the logistics of imprinting. If we were supposed to be extra protective of our mates then how the hell did I keep missing shit like her entering a room? Nobody missed the fact that she was wearing a shirt and nothing else. Her eyes were only for the demon and once she had navigated around Brady she dropped to her knees a few feet in front of Vatan. Her eyes began filling with tears as her pet, a knotted animated object that looked like it had been rolled through shit, leaves, and grass, threw the wolves a smirk and came padding towards Bella and jumped up into her outstretched arms. With her back to us and Vatan perched over her shoulder to give us the stink eye he gave out a pitiful meow. Bella stiffened slightly before twirling around and standing up to face her target: Paul.

"What the hell did you do to him?" she sputtered; the building up of a rage evident in her voice.

"Whoa, back up there," Brady started but failed as Bella turned on him. Truthfully I might have felt like intervening if I wasn't so completely shocked by Bella's use of profanity. Fate was looking around for a pit to supply Bella with as she clearly had a firm grasp on 'Let's kill the messenger' ploy.

"Jesus Christ," she screamed at him as all three of us shuddered. "Isn't he a little small to be game you might want to hunt? Do you sickos take this dog thing to the extreme; having to be dominating over cats to the point of demolishing them?" Both guys took steps backwards and shot me pleading looks. I grabbed her from behind, wrapping a hand around each of her upper arms and pulling her into me. Vatan took it upon himself to give his mommy a hand. Both of his paws extended up over her shoulders and latched into my chest. His little toes flexed, infusing his death razors into my flesh and his mouth opened in a silent hiss. It was like he could feel Bella's anger and was helping to spread her rage. It was kind of creeping me out.

"Bella, wait! Last night he somehow got out and I asked Brady and Paul to come over and help find Van. They did and look he's home safe and sound." I smiled down at her, waiting for her to realize everything was good and a verbal tongue lashing was unnecessary.

"Are you blind?" Bella asked me as she whipped around effectively allowing Vatan to remove more of my skin. "Van is covered in blood, Jacob, blood!"

"Bella, he's fine. Not all of that blood is his. In fact most of it is from the raccoon he gutted as a peace offering," Paul outlined patiently. _Oops, way wrong answer!_ He clearly thought his answer held every explanation Bella may need; her face said otherwise. I never did like kaleidoscopes and watching the emotional version morph across Bella's face reinforced that belief.

"Excuse me," she whispered, settling on pain, before racing back upstairs. All of us stood frozen once again as her footsteps pattered across the ceiling above followed by the soft click as she shut the bathroom door. Turning back to Paul, I searched for my last question.

"What kind of peace offering?" I demanded, knowing full well it wasn't going to be as pleasant as one might think. Paul was all too happy to explain.

"Oh man, that was shit was funny as fuck. We trailed that cat all over the damn forest, trying to figure out what scent he was going on. It wasn't until about forty-five minutes into it that we realized he was headed on a collision course for Quil's. We stopped following his trail, that cat has a shitty sense of direction, and just decided to head him off figuring he'd get there sooner or later. We get there, no sign of Truck but Quil and Claire were going at it. Brady finally decided to just creep up under his bedroom window and-"

"Brady decided?" I asked Paul, knowing damn well that was not how it would have gone.

"Okay, so for a few convincing Franklins, I was able to coerce Brady. Anyway in a raspy voice, he whispered, 'Quil, come play with me. It's me, your favorite kitty, Van.' Holy shit, man! Quil came flying out through his window with a spatula screaming like a little bitch. Once he caught on, Brady and I were laughing so hard, I thought I was going to piss myself. Then Quil gets all obnoxious and enraged and starts yelling at us when who should appear but Varmint, dragging a dead raccoon. Him and Quil spot each other about the same time and that furry little thing lit up like a firecracker while Quil's sputtering and spitting not sure what to do. Then Volvo gives out this long purr and starts running forward, full speed, dragging this dead rodent almost as big as himself. And Quil just lost it. He started screaming about killing Bella's pet and Sam had to dive bomb on top of him. Quil's still going, half dragging Sam towards Vader and Vader must have thought it was in joy or some shit because he stopped to sit there and purr, waiting for Quil. Sam told us to get the cat, so I go to grab Bella's freak when he turns on me like a slingshot. You know, I've never seen a fucking cat that big unless it was behind bars at the damn zoo. Fuck, that Von is lethal enough to warrant a cage. Are you sure Bella's safe alone with him?" Paul's eyes narrowed, like I was the keeper of cat secrets. Through his entire spiel, Paul had only correctly named Vatan once. Trying not to show my amusement over that and the idea of a thwarted Quil, I responded.

"So she says. She's had it for a few years and I've never seen it actively turn on her. Maybe the fucking leeches mind fucked it to behave only around her, who knows. At least that explains where Sam is. But thanks guys, you know for getting her demon back. I'd better go see if she needs any help." Now that everyone was accounted for, Bella became top priority and I wanted the stooges to leave. Guilt wasn't even an issue for me.

"Yeah, good luck with that. We're going to head back over to Quil's and see if Sam has managed to calm him down at all before we rile him up some more." Paul's amusement was a double edged sword. He and Quil had a 'love to hate you' relationship that often backfired when the shockwaves to their antics rippled to their imprints. Of course the plus side was the more Paul pissed off Quil, the less likely Rachel would be to let him in the bedroom. Patrol headaches were always at an all time low when those two wolves tried to one-up the other.

"Whatever, just go," I waved my hand in the direction of the front door. "You be sure to remind Quil if I catch him issuing threats to the demon or attempting harm, his ass will be on a one-way trip to tell Bella's family about their imprintee of a daughter. That should shut him up." _And focus solely on Paul_.

I briefly heard Brady mutter something about an overly harsh Alpha before the door closed. The only voice I could hear was Bella's as she scolded Vatan and from the sounds of it, was giving him a bath. Both of them seemed to be okay and not smelling Bella's blood, I decided to leave the pair alone for now. The last thing I wanted was to be roped into help bathe the pelted psycho. Returning back to my office, I put away my sketch book and tried to figure out where to go from here. It wasn't long before I heard the bathroom door open and Vatan come stomping down the stairs. He stopped to scowl and hiss at me before continuing to the lower level of the house. Bella came down shortly after and joined me in the living room, sitting on the other side. This wasn't looking so good and I couldn't think of a single thing to say to her.

"I, uhh, don't know where to start. How about you explain and I'll ask questions as we go along?" Bella was giving me minimal eye contact and had her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Thank god she took the initiative or we would have sat there forever.

"Do you remember the story from the bonfire? That's how it started at least as far as we can tell. The change doesn't happen every generation, just when the need to protect arises," leaning forward, I waited for a question on the explanation of the gene. Fate was arguing over the response from their Magic Eight-Ball.

"So does every werewolf …claim a mate?" Bella lifted her head to stare straight at me and I was shocked. Eventually we would have discussed this but out of everything I never would have guessed it to be one of her top ten questions.

_Claim a mate? That sounds barbaric_. I struggled to explain the terminology. "I've imprinted on you; it's kind of like a lifeline, connecting our souls."

"We share a soul?" Bella asked, fully alarmed. Her eyes had widened and the look made me suddenly feel like Satan trying to claim a soul.

"No! I mean it's just a way that identifies that you are who I am meant to be completely happy with." Bella began to relax and my body followed suit. Her next question came almost immediately and Fate threw my relaxation out the window.

"So I'm a necessary drug for your soul?" she mused while I tried not to throw up. The thought of us belonging together being compared to a narcotic was revolting and nowhere near the neighborhood of romantic.

"This is really difficult to explain," sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate for a really good analogy, one that didn't include track marks and hypodermics.

"Set aside the concept of imprinting for just a moment. If the two of us were in a room with a thousand other people we would have to interact with many before finding each other; in fact it might never happen. One or even both of us could have stopped and started a life with a person we felt a connection with. We might even be happy with a different choice; making a life with them. But somewhere in the back of your mind, heart, soul or whatever you want to call it that one final piece of connection would be missing whether you acknowledged it or not. Imprinting is still us in a room with a thousand other people but in that room you are the only one holding up a sign that says 'Stop looking, I'm the one for you.'" Bella sat there for a long time pondering over everything.

"Our connection! The one at the raspberry orchard of that unnamed pull beyond the physical," she all but yelled, happy to make a connection.

"Yes," I grinned in response.

"What if I was already committed to someone else? What if I wasn't interested?" Feeling we were passed the critical stage, I answered truthfully.

"Well…you would be able to turn me down. Everyone still has free will with an imprint, not so much the wolf but the mate does."

"What happens to the wolf?"

"He steps back to the sidelines waiting in the shadows for a chance, I guess."

"Like a stalker?" she questioned. I began to wonder if maybe she had been stalked in the past. Maybe she was thinking about her family. She really didn't talk about them unless pressed and I could easily see how they could be defined as stalkers.

"More like a guardian angel. It's never actually happened before," I stopped talking to study her. By using the word angel I was hoping to ease her fears but Bella's face was paler than usual and she looked like she might keel over. The minutes ticked by as I stared and she seemed to zone out further.

"Do you have some more questions, honey?" I finally asked. My question was followed by a violent head shake from Bella. "You can ask me anything, you know. Secrets aren't necessary, sweetie. I will never be mad or embarrassed or ashamed at anything you may want to ask or talk about."

"I, uhh, I'm sure I'll have more questions in the future but right now I kinda feel overwhelmed with everything so far. Maybe we could just sit here for a little bit?"

"Sure, that's no problem. Can I get you something to eat?" I offered, thinking maybe she just had low blood sugar or something. As usual though, Bella wasn't thinking about herself.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot to feed Van. He must be so hungry after his little foray outside." We sat there for awhile. Bella didn't make any move to feed the monster and never even notice when I moved to sit next to her and pull her against me. She was neither rigid nor limp and I didn't know if it was a good thing or bad. By one in the afternoon my stomach gave up on its silent protest and turned vociferous. Quietly, I stood and said I would be back shortly. The demon met me in my second favorite room.

"You know, part of this is your fault," I accused Vatan while standing in the kitchen to make some lunch. "If you hadn't gone on a Romeo-Recon mission, Bella wouldn't be all silent and brooding, now would she?" Vatan simply gave a little huff, not tearing his eyes away from the cheese and meat I had out for sandwiches. Like a magnet, he followed me back into the living room and sat on the other side of Bella when I sat a plate down into her lap. She took her napkin and sat it next to her. Every second or third bite of her sandwich she would pull of a piece and place in Vatan range. Watching the little cretin scarf down lunch, I almost jumped when Bella started talking.

"Okay, I've thought about it. I can't say I actually believe it or want to believe it but I'm willing to try this. Assuming you're correct, then any misgivings I might have should just fade away with a little time." _Uhh, did I say that? _I wasn't given any chance to respond as my mate continued, her voice growing stronger.

"I already told you that I don't want secrets between us and I mean that. But there is a huge difference between keeping secrets and giving away too much info. If I really need to know something then you can tell me. However, if it's not an immediate imperative for me to know then I'd rather not. I'm a vet; animals fascinate me and I love nature. But so help me if another car sized wolf shows up in the backyard, I'll tranq his furry butt and not think twice," finally stopping she waited for me to accept.

"No viewing of furry butts, got it. Anything else?" Her request was beyond acceptable and if I had to shave Quil to keep it that way, I would.

"Can I have a hug?" she demanded. _Oh my god it just gets better._

"Any time you want but they're usually followed by kisses; lots and lots of kisses," I answered. Jumping up, I practically dived over the coffee table to get to her. Bella barely had a chance to gasp before finding herself in my lap, pressed against me and completely enclosed in my embrace. Her arms wrapped around me in acceptance and the kiss she delivered completely sealed our souls. Our bodies responded to each other perfectly and when she leaned back, I was ready to attack her neck and head back upstairs. Her words hit me like a train-wreck.

"Jake, I'm going to have to call my parents and tell them." Tongue hanging out, I just gaped at her revelation. A million thoughts raced through my mind as to why that was the crappiest idea, ever, when Fate decided to add another player. The knock on the front door came too soon and Fate bounced over to answer it.


	20. FlamFate

"What? No, you can't tell them, Bella." Studiously ignoring the second knock, we stared at each other.

"Oh god, you have to kill them, don't you?" Our eyes mirrored the same horror but for different reasons. Technically her family was vampires and if they showed up I was honor bound to rid the Earth of them. I wouldn't actively go after them but Bella thought differently.

"It's because I'm your inmate, isn't it?" Bella questioned. I tried not to flinch at her choice of words.

"I think the word you're looking for is imprint," I supplied helpfully. Bella barely noticed and kept talking over me.

"What does it matter? Jacob, you can't kill them, they're my family. They live all the way in Alaska, they won't tell anyone. In fact, I don't even have to tell them you're a werewolf. We can keep this just between us, right?" I started to speak again only to be cut off by our visitor.

"Jacob, son, are you here?" My father's voice startled Bella and she slid off of my lap and onto the cushion next to me. Every part of my body wilted.

"Bella, don't panic. I promise, we'll talk about this later, okay?" Giving her a quick kiss, I waited for her to nod in agreement before answering my father. "In the living room, Dad," I called out. It was like a sixth sense with parents as to when the most inopportune time to disrupt was.

"Are you alone?" he asked. His voice had changed into that of the parental mode. What he was really asking was if Bella and I were dressed.

"In the living room, Dad," I repeated myself, Bella giving me a funny look. Dad came around the corner all smiles.

"Oh good I was hoping-What is that?" his voice changing from pleasant to disturbed as he pointed to the demon.

"A cat." This was getting ridiculous. As soon as shit calmed down I was intimating a 4-H plan for the tribe. Every goddamn family would be required to foster a furry heathen.

"I know it's a cat, son. What I meant was what is it doing here in your house?" Dad's knowing smirk caused me to stare. Silently I sat there trying to decipher it when Bella took it upon herself to answer him.

"He's mine. Jacob said I could bring him with me but if Van's not allowed to be here-"

"Bella stop. Of course the furry mons-moonbeam is welcome here. I told you though our tribe doesn't have a lot of experience with cats. It's just kind of a surprise to some," I waited for her to smile before turning back to my father. "Is everything okay? I wasn't expecting you to visit."

"It's Sunday, Jacob. I figured since you were home for a change," _Gee, no subtle_ _hints there,_ "I'd come over to watch the game and have dinner with you."

"Dad, I don't know-" Bella cut me off before I could express my distaste over an impromptu family dinner. Relationship wise, Bella and I seemed to be on a correct path but the last thing either of us needed was another hurdle.

"Of course you're welcome to have dinner with us. I didn't know you guys had a ritual. Let me go plan something for us to eat later and you guys can watch your game." Bella stood up by the end of her sentences and I was half a pace behind her attempting to make her see reason.

"No, honey, that's okay. I can make all of us something to eat later, closer to dinner time. Let's just all sit here and watch the game together." I was trying to save my father by getting her to go sit back down and stay far, far away from the kitchen.

"Jake, I think your dad wants to spend some time just with you," she whispered quietly before resuming to normal volume. "It's okay, I don't mind. I'll go make a family meal, you can bond and then we can all sit down and eat. Maybe you guys want to go downstairs, that way I won't distract you with cooking noises up here. I know you haven't used your movie room since we've been here. I'll be fine," her eyes holding a look I could finally read. She wanted to do something normal to prove that the world hadn't gone completely mad with the introduction of werewolves and blood suckers.

"What an excellent idea. Come on, Jake, let's head down there and leave your lady here alone to plot and cook." It sounded really insulting, the way my father said that but both had smiles on their faces like it was a superb idea. The irony was, one couldn't cook and the other was about to be blind sided with that fact.

"Umm, okay. But don't hesitate to come down and get me if you need help with anything." I was at a dead end. Bella's feelings would be hurt too much if I didn't let her cook and I still had a small chance that it might be edible. She gave me a hug before shooing us both towards the staircase. I took one last look at her retreating figure before descending. Fate was right behind, deciding that my false hopefulness would be a better show then 'Wolfgang Puke' with Bella.

Both my dad and I chose a seat in front of the T.V. and dad grabbed the remote. Flipping through the channels relentlessly, he finally stopped. "Oh excellent, the Mariners and the Yankees are playing. This should be an interesting game; nothing like the East against the West."

"Yeah, battle of the directions," I replied, trying to listen to what Bella may be doing. I could hear the cabinets opening and closing; followed every so often by a little huff of glee as she found whatever she was looking for.

"So how did she take it after she woke up?" My dad asked me. Bella had opened up the freezer and I thought she was spending entirely too much time trying to choose something. I tried to focus on my dad and not the excited footwork of Vanny Davis Jr., the tap dancing mutant.

"It went okay. There was a small crisis this morning over the cat but I think we have it all under control now_._"_ Why is the freezer still open?_

"I heard. Those boys nearly took out an acre of trees over whatever ruckus the cat caused. You might want to keep a better eye on it if Bella is attached to it. As we speak, Quil is out setting up traps to catch it, should it decide to pay him another visit," his tone casual. I, on the other hand, about flew out of the recliner.

"What? I'll kill the fucker. I told him he's not to harm the furry demon!" My voice was loud and overly harsh. I heard the dull thud of something being dropped upstairs and cringed. Dad gave me a funny look.

"Relax, son. They're containment cages only. If the cat should get stuck in one it just has to wait until someone comes by to free it. Actually, if a cat is going to cause that much of a stir around here maybe you should set some up also. That way a certain wolf boy doesn't go all crazy, thinking he's being hunted by a pet."

"Good idea, Dad. A cage for Quil," I answered, not really paying him any more attention. I heard another thump and then the beeping of buttons being pushed on the microwave. Silently I counted them, trying to figure out what she was heating up. There were a lot of beeps and curiosity/dread overcame me.

"Hey, Dad, can I get you a beer?" I was already out of my chair and approaching the stairs to check on Bella.

"A beer would be great, son. Don't you keep them down here?" Damn, my dad knew the layout here to well. Of course they were kept down here, I didn't need them upstairs when all of my guests came down to socialize.

"Yeah, I do. I guess I forgot," I answered, walking back to the second kitchen. Grabbing two beers, I trekked back to the chairs and handed one to him. Reluctantly I sat down and flared my nostrils, hoping to catch a whiff of an upstairs kitchen aroma. Fate reminded me that the fan was on intake and nothing would be wafting my way. The game started and my dad was soon absorbed into the wonderful world of sports. I listened as the oven was turned on and more dishes were moved and rearranged. The monstrous caterpillar was upstairs with Bella still and I could hear her telling him how excited everyone would be to see what she was making. His responding meow was only half-way and I slumped further into my seat as Fate shuttled me and my unsuspecting father towards a dinner death.

"What a shot! Did you see that? Right out of the field," Dad yelled.

"Yeah, great touchdown," I answered. _Why would Bella need to go to the fridge nine times in less than forty minutes? _

"Son, are you even watching this? We both know there are no touchdowns in baseball. What has you so distracted?" _Why is he distracting me? Let's see, that sounded like seventy-two whisks in a bowl. Oh god, please don't let her be making quiche._

"Jacob! Is there a problem?" Dad had lowered the volume and was giving me an intent stare. I tried to steer him away from my own obsession.

"What? No, no problem. I was just trying to figure out what Bella might be making us for dinner," _and how to salvage it._

"Leave her alone, son. Anyone who could accomplish vet school is such a short amount of time should be more than capable of making dinner for three people." My father's logic was sound, yet flawed on so many levels. He would know the truth soon enough and I decided to spare him the shock.

"Dad, I haven't been completely honest with you. See-"

"Jacob, that's great. I mean, yes, it's wrong to lie to your tribe and father but I can overlook it. I'm just glad you decided to come clean and end this farce before you guys got married or, god forbid, knocked her up." My father's palpable relief caused me to lose count of whatever Bella was slicing.

"Do you honestly think I would have exposed our secret to an outsider? You are completely unbelievable." I slammed my half drunk beer on the table for emphasis.

"Well, what else could you've lied to me about? Oh shit, did you guys already get married?" For a man who was well aware of a wolf's temper, he was walking a fine line.

"Jesus, I haven't even proposed to her and until two hours ago, I didn't even know if she was going to stick around. But now that she said she's willing to try, I might actually get the opportunity to plan a future. Top of that list will include you not being invited to the wedding." My own words stopped me momentarily. As a future leader, Bella and I would have to be married in front of the whole tribe. Not everyone had to be present but they all had to be invited. _Crap, would Bella think that was an imperative? _

"Don't be like that, son. What was I supposed to think?" He was trying to play the injured party card and I wasn't buying it.

"You're supposed to think that your son is completely happy and ecstatic that he's finally found the most incredible woman in the world to be with him. You're supposed to think that it's evident beyond all reason that as soon as an appropriate amount of time has passed he will propose and given a resounding yes, he will never believe that anyone could be as happy as he is."

"I do know you're happy, son; I just didn't realize the extent of it. I promise not to jump the gun anymore about the two of you. She seems nice."

"More then you could possibly know," I mumbled. We were both caught up in our own thoughts and more time passed before Dad spoke again.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me before I ruined it?" he asked. I was more interested in my own questions then his.

"Nothing, I forgot. It must not have been very important," I smiled. _You'll see._

We both sat there in silence, staring at the T.V. and sipping our beers. Was that the can opener? The more time that passed, the longer I felt like a man on death row. Tensing, I listened to approaching footsteps from above, followed by Bella's sweet voice.

"Jacob, do you have a cheese slicer?" her dulcet speech floated down.

"What the fuck is a cheese slicer?" I asked my father. I don't think I had ever been more relieved not to have Quil here. Without a doubt, his answer would have left me scarred.

"No he doesn't," my dad yelled back, smirking over my ignorance.

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Billy," she called back before returning to the kitchen. Something as simple as cheese should never make someone cower. Fate gave me a ribbon for being the first. Another hour passed with the game somewhere in the eighth inning before Bella announced it was time to eat. I was almost upstairs before I finished telling dad to meet us in the dining room. Crossing over the threshold to upstairs kitchen, I could almost feel my nose try to crawl off of my face.

"What did you make, honey?" I asked, forcing every ounce of diplomacy into my question. If I was lucky she might interpret the pleading as excitement.

"Well, I started to make a soufflé only to realize that the meat I was defrosting wasn't tuna but ham. Would it be okay if we started to label all of that meat in the freezer?" I could only nod my head as Bella beamed at me before continuing. "So I was kind of worried because I had already mixed the eggs and even with the ham I remembered you didn't have any citrus fruit. Lucky for us, you had plenty of bananas."

"So, uhh, what does that leave us with?" Fate never shared quality time with its cousin Luck and I knew it wouldn't be joining us for dinner.

"You really don't know? I thought for sure you would have figured it out since I asked about the cheese slicer."

"No, honey, I'm completely clueless," _and not nearly drunk enough to handle whatever comes next._

"I made a cheesy ham and banana casserole."

"And the eggs?" I tried to keep the pleading to a mental status only. _Please let them be in the trash._

"That's the best part," _doubtful,_ "I was able to make a dessert with the eggs. Do you want to guess?"

"Noooooo," I answered fervently. Not only did I not want to guess, I also didn't want to hear.

"A chocolate jerky soufflé. It may be a little much with the casserole but we can cut small pieces and your dad can take home the leftovers." Bella was sounding so pleased with herself that I had to gulp. Sure, my father had pissed me off but did he warrant this type of inflicted torture? I knew I sure as hell didn't.

"I don't remember having any beef jerky in the house," I answered hopefully. Fate had to have already met its food torture quota. _Does jerky have one of those funky double meanings?_

"Well, I was digging around in your pantry and found this zip-lock bag on a back shelf. I hope you guys aren't disappointed, it's not beef, it's salmon." Had I not been leaning against the counter, I would have collapsed. The salmon, at least, accounted for Vatan's river dance routine.

I had to consider the edibility of the soufflé. The jerky Bella had used was some crap I kept around for when the guys wanted to go tangle with the bears. As wolves we could hunt them for fun but like most hunters, we had a lazy factor involved. By using the smoked fish we could drawl them into a closer section of the forest and lie in wait in the trees. We almost never killed them but they could be a lot of fun to rough up. The game ended when one of us, usually Leah, became so enraged we phased into a wolf. Then it got gross. We probably should lace the jerky with Imodium before such games.

"Jake, if you could just grab that last bowl we can all sit down and eat." Bella was already out of the kitchen and walking to the dining room. I hurried to catch up to her, knowing that Dad was probably going to accidentally let something slip to hurt her feelings.

Arriving at the table, I cast a glance at my father. He was eyeing his plate and frowning at the piece of sludge Bella had carefully placed on it. I set down the salad bowl I was carrying and while Bella was dishing out my toxic potion, err, portion I tried to distract dad. She was practically skipping in glee as she gave me what had to account for half of our dinner sewage. Dad's frantic tapping on my arm brought me back to the fact that he now had enough lettuce to feed a herd of famished rabbits. Looking directly at him, I was given that single expression only a parent can perform, the one that says 'talk now'! Sitting down across from Bella and with my dad being at the head of the table, I attempted to return the mime act with my own expression of 'not-in-front-of-my-girlfriend, please.'

Dad picked up on it and conversation was tense. Bella still didn't feel comfortable addressing any of the issues at hand and my father was too busy biting his tongue. Maybe he was trying to eat it instead. Anything would have been an improvement to our current entree. Looking around for the hairy one, I spotted him in the corner. Rear leg heisted into the air he was licking himself. Okay maybe not anything would have been an improvement but it was a close call.

"So, Bella, have you and Jake decided on wedding date?" Dad was smiling at a shocked Bella.

"Dad," I yelled out. My fork dropped, clanking against the plate. "Did we not just have this conversation a little bit ago?" Desperately, I attempted to remember the commandment about not killing parents.

"I was simply inquiring as to when we might be able to fully welcome her into our community."

Quietly Bella set her own fork down on the table and pushed her plate away. "We, uhh, haven't really discussed all of the details yet. I still need to go back to the city and make arrangements to move my stuff. Plus I'm pretty sure my parents will want to visit if I announce something big like this." Her fearful eyes met mine and the fact that she had consented to moving in with me slipped by. Dad completely misread the imprint-wolf exchange.

"Your parents? But hasn't Jake told-"

"No, I haven't told her that I would be more than happy to meet her parents." Even my father couldn't miss that hint and had it been anyone else to make that error I would have kicked them. Fate made sure to switch to something equally uncouth.

"What about kids?" Dad inquired pleasantly not wanting to be deterred. I decided to play just as dirty, tired of the impossible questions Fate was feeding him. Fate was a swinger, and happily switched sides.

"Bella doesn't have any kids other than her furry friend over there," I pointed to a drooling Vatan. The demon was waiting for Bella to feed him and I used it to my advantage.

"Bella, honey, would you mind getting dad some of your dessert? I promise to do the dishes later; you don't have to worry about it." Bella bolted for the kitchen, clearly not wanting to discuss a far off future. Once the room was clear, I sought out my ammunition. Fate gave him a big shove.

"Why don't you say hi to grandpa, Van?" The fucker looked straight at me. He knew something was up; I never used his real name unless Bella was right there to hear.

"Jacob, I was being serious. You do realize that you guys will have children, don't you? Neither of you has the time to dally around, her family is going to flip when and if they find out about her and you. I think you guys should start right away to avoid any future accidents from occurring."

"Are you fucking kidding me? You want us to have a kid, so if my mate gets eaten, I still have a child from an imprint?" I was back to outrageously pissed off, dad was shocked and neither of us was paying the first bit of attention to the furred plague.

"Son, it makes the most sen-Shit!" Bumping his leg against the table, the dishes rattled as he scooted back. Apparently the plague had found a victim. Fate was cheering about the delivery.

"Get off of me, you imp!" Dad stood up shaking his leg that was now covered in a hairy fungus. I started to laugh but Fate shushed me as my father reached down to extract the Vatan; it was a mistake that was about to cost him dearly. Grabbing both of Vatan's front legs, Dad tried to pry the cat lose. Like a feline gymnast, Vatan released his front and back paws while Dad was supporting him. Then in a twist, inserted his front razors into my father's wrist and brought up his hind ones to insert into the forearms. It wasn't a difficult move, had I been a judge like Fate I would have only given him a five and a half. However, Vatan wasn't done and as soon as my dad started swinging his arms, Vatan flipped back and off, landing on his feet. Dad swung his leg back to deliver a kick and I had to intercede.

"Dad, you can't kick him, stop!"

"Jacob, this cat has to go. How do you live with such an angry animal?" Dad asked, lowering his leg. I stood up to approach my father, in case he decided to end the miserable creature's life. I couldn't let him hurt Bella like that though and since she was my main concern, I missed the funny drizzling sound.

"Dad, he just has some issues," _like being completely insane_. "Bella really likes him, so he stays."

Dad opened his mouth to speak and stopped to stare at his shoes. While we were arguing, Vatan had struck/was striking again. In the form of a less than appealing shower. My poor Bella, she reentered the dining room midstream and dropped the soufflé.

"Billy, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," grabbing a towel she dropped down and started to swipe at his shoes having not seen the attempted kick. "Jacob, don't just stand there, make sure Van doesn't eat any of the soufflé, it could hurt him."

My eyes sought out Vatan who was circling the desert dung like a shark. He opened his jaw wide and I jumped over to scoop him up before he could strike. Setting him on the table I turned back to help Bella. Secretly I prayed that Vatan would be interested in the leftover casserole still sitting out. The very least he could do would be to reexamine whatever foliage he had chomped down on outside. What would Miss Manners say if she knew I was praying for a cat to vomit on my table?

Dad finally left our house, claiming he was tired. Bella had stopped talking after her tenth apology to him about Vatan. Silently we both cleaned up everything before I sent her upstairs, promising I would be there after the dishes were done. I was so mad that I spent the time yelling at myself and wondering why Vatan wasn't here to listen to me. The furry fuck owed me at least that much and if he wasn't going to be a friend and listen then I was going to lock him out of the bedroom tonight. Finishing the last pan, I turned off the lights and headed towards the bedroom stopping just outside the door to listen. I could hear Bella talking to him softly and my heart lurched listening to her sniffle over what a disaster dinner had been. She was mad at herself, thinking that if she had just not used the salmon, her precious Van wouldn't have gotten himself into such an excited tizzy. The corrosive cupcake just purred his agreement and I walked in to climb up next to Bella.

"Sweetie, none of this was your fault. My father's just a little old-fashioned. Please don't listen to his asinine questions, he can't help it." Propped up with the pillows behind her, Bella turned to me with a frustrated look.

"Jake, dinner was ruined. Your dad was just asking what I assume to be valid questions. But for Van to attack him like that, it's just not forgivable. What's everyone going to think when they hear about this? Maybe moving here isn't such a good idea." I watched her fingers picking at the Vatan fur lining the outside of our comforter. My mind rolled over her statement before it hit me.

"Wait, what? Are you serious? You're really going to move in with me?" This was it! Despite all that had happened in the past Bella was really going to live with me. I was practically glowing with the thoughts of having the same address, our scents combining through all of our belongings, just knowing that whenever I came home it wouldn't be to an empty house. I would have her forever. Fate quietly tapped me on the shoulder.

"Well, I was. But Jake, I won't get rid of Van. I mean, yeah, he is kind of like my kid and if he can't live with me then I need to find somewhere more accepting of him. I'll just… I don't know. Maybe I can renew my lease from a month to month basis while looking for a job." Bella was worrying at her lips and both she and Fate flinched as I lashed out.

"NO! This is my house and you and Van are more than welcome to make it yours as well. Whatever problems other people have with cats, they can keep it to themselves. I don't want you living in the city, honey. I'm so damn happy you want to leave here with me. We can go get your stuff tomorrow and have you packed and moved in by Tuesday." Immediately I catalogued which of the wolves would help with the move while Bella pointed out the less flattering aspects of such a happy occasion.

"Jake, we still need to discuss the family thing. Yes, I'm an adult but I don't want their feelings to be hurt by doing something so drastic and not telling them. And what about you? Obviously I can't tell them everything but I'm going to have to introduce you at some point. I mean we can do that, right? They're going to think it's awfully strange that I'm moving in with someone who they can't even get to know."

"Were you thinking of me meeting them before you moved in? Your lease is up in a week or two, I'm not sure we can make arrangements to travel that quickly," _or at all. _Where had my mind gone? Of course she'd still want to see them. I had yet to tell her the truth about them and I cursed Fate as it giggled over an impossible task.

"No, Jake. I was just going to call and tell them and then we can set up a family gathering. My mom's going to love your place with all of this intricate woodwork and the view." Fate beamed as I tried to crawl out of a never ending hole.

Sucking in a deep breath I rushed through the truth. "Honey, they aren't allowed to visit here…ever." My chest deflated with the effort and Bella sat up to stare at me.

"Jake, I don't understand. Is it because of the werewolf thing? I thought you said we weren't going to tell them. They won't be able to figure it out just by visiting. Besides this is federal land. Sure not everyone can buy land and stuff out here but you can't stop people from traveling through." I wanted to smack myself across the head. Leave it to Bella to think it was about some type of legal jurisdiction. For one brief second I wished that my imprint had less of an IQ.

"Bella, do you know how old your family is?" My voice was dripping of desperation and understanding.

"Jake, you know I'm adopted. I have no idea who my ancestors are, the Cullens are my family," she answered in a hurt voice. My spirits dropped again and I reached over to cup her checks.

"Baby, that's who I'm talking about, the Cullens. Do you know how old the family dates back to?" Searching each other's eyes, Bella tried to give me the answer she thought I was looking for.

"I know they have some relatives scattered here and there. We never visited them very often. Mom and Dad kind of gave me the impression they weren't accepted by either side because of their condition. I have no idea about my siblings. They felt abandoned because of the XP, so none of them did much genealogy." _Fuck, fuck, fuck! How do you train someone to think in mythological dynamics? _I had to just lay it all out.

"Honey, your mom and dad have a pact with our tribe. They know as well as we do that they can't be here." I felt like a man carrying nitroglycerin on a Tilt-A-Whirl. One wrong jolt or twist and this whole situation was going to blow up beyond epic proportions.

"I don't get it. Why am I here then?"

"Because I love you!" The words danced straight from heart to hers in their intensity. Her eyes softened slightly and I continued, "You're nothing like the rest of your family. I don't personally hate them but they are all-" And there came the jolt.

"Stop, I get it now! I'm not struck with XP, so it's okay for me to be here. I have to say, Jake, that really hurts. I never would have guessed that you guys were so hostile to the less misfortunate. Look, I'm really trying here but making up wild accusations about my family isn't helping. Now you tell me that you will stop with it and we can move on. "

"What about your imperatives? Honey, this is something you really need to know." She had set these rules, and now I had to muddle through the explanations.

"Right this minute? Are you telling me it is absolutely imperative that I listen to you ridicule my family?" I cringed at the shrillness of her voice and tried to placate her.

"No it's not ridicule but there are some other things you need to know," I whined. Bella took a few minutes to calm herself before speaking again.

"If I drop the idea of them visiting, can it wait?" She was back to the pleading with her eyes and the words flowed without my consent.

"For a little bit, but-" Her hand shot out and covered my mouth.

"Then drop it please. We can discuss the aspects of my family later." Bella's voice held the note of finality and I had to concede. As much as she needed to know for the future, unleashing all of the gory details now just might push her over the edge. We both sat there reclining on the bed just enjoying the closeness of each other. Somewhere during our conversation the demon had taken off, reminding me that I still had a bone to pick with him. The sudden lone echo of a wolf caused Bella to sit straight up.

"Is that a…is that one of the, you know, werewolves?" Bella asked. Her voice had dropped low.

"Yeah, that's Justin," I replied making no move to get up. Bella watched me for some sort of sign and I decided that maybe if I remained calm she would too.

"What's he doing?"

"He's just reminding the guys of the weekly meeting. Quil's probably goofing off and not present as usual." Slowly she began to relax again and I was ecstatic. Maybe Bella would realize that me being a wolf wasn't a life or death situation. If I could show her with subtle signs, that it was just another day in the life of living on the rez, Bella may actually accept it as the norm.

"Do you need to go also?" She asked. I looked over at her before answering. Bella seemed okay with the topic but I still treaded lightly.

"I probably should but it's not mandatory. They'll just go over schedules and stuff to make sure all the shifts are covered. Sam can tell me later if anything of importance needs my attention."

"Are you just staying here because of me?"

"Yes, but nobody will mind. They'll understand that you need a little more time to recoup before falling into the normal routine. Don't worry about it."

"Jacob, I'm fine. Go ahead and strategize or whatever you need to do in wolf form. I'm just going to relax in the tub and then go to bed." It was like the Angels were singing to me. Any other thought I may have had vanished and was replaced with an aquatic tryst. Her smooth, satiny skin flowing beneath me as I caressed and admired. Tiny drops of moisture dotting her skin screaming for me to gently remove them with my tongue. Then the crème de la crème: going back to bed and repeating the process. I sat up with the intention to go run the water for her bath.

"I'd much rather help with your bath. Maybe help you wash, scrub your back, massage your-"

"Female parts," Bella interjected with a grin.

"Absolutely. You've read my mind." I had never been happier at sharing a thought then I was now.

"I don't think so, lover. I just want to soak and unwind and I can't do that with your hands searching my body for Atlantis." _On my god, she called me lover._ If my thoughts hadn't already been heading in a similar direction, that alone would have sealed the deal.

"Can we go expedition hunting when I get back? I won't be gone long." Fuck, I didn't even really need to leave. Just a quick hop outside, phase, connect with the web-mind of wolves and then I could be back in the house and upstairs.

"Jake, as soon as you get back and I've finished my bath we can snuggle all you want. But I really would like just a little bit of time alone, okay?" She was rubbing my hands softly like the putty I had become.

"All right, sweetie," leaning over I kissed her cheek. "I'll only be gone for a little while and then we can cuddle." Both of us got up to head in other directions. As I hit the main floor I could hear Bella starting the water. She had implied a no to sex but I was willing to snuggle and renegotiate. With a huge smile, I continued to walk only to freeze mid stride. There was a funny crinkling and shredding sound coming from my office. I didn't have to go in to know who was behind it; I just needed to find out what the damage was to. Fate just wore a look that said 'Oops!'.


	21. Chewy CupFates

The mangy pukemeister! Whatever he was attempting to rifle through in my office, he better pray it was salvageable. Flipping the light on I came to a dead stop in the doorway, my eyes bugging out. Vatan was hunched over the side of the desk with a drawer pulled open. Giving me a chirp, he smirked his evil Cheshire smile before looking at the ground where some of the contents of the drawer were. I was already fighting the wolf within but when my eyes hit the ground I almost gave in. My shoulders hit the door frame back and forth as I vibrated with rage. There on the ground were the remnants of my sketch book that I used for work.

"You fucking piece of shit! Are you trying to kill me or yourself because I am this close to strangling your worthless neck?" The monster stood up as I advanced to the desk. Reaching down I picked up the now shredded sketch book. As I flipped through what was left of pages, my hatred grew. Three months worth of work vanished into a pile of kitty confetti. I threw the tablet into the trash and eyed my opponent. Sitting back on his haunches he grinned like the idiot I knew he was. His tail swished slowly and he started to purr.

"Don't think for one fucking minute that shit will work on me, Vatan! I'm not Quil and I'm not your friend. If I was, your ass would have been in the kitchen earlier when I was having a difficult time." He raised his paw as if to tell me to stop and then proceeded to clean his grimy little face.

"You dirty fucker, you don't even give a rat's ass, do you? Let's see how pretty you think you are without those insect feelers you call whiskers." Lunging across the desk to make good on my threat, Vatan shot off and out the door. _How the fuck did I miss a cat?_ My vibrating anger wasn't helping and I needed to get out of the house and run. Not even two steps out of the door and I stripped and phased, howling my frustrations as I took off to join the pack. I was so focused on my furred foe that I didn't hear a single thought from my brethren. My mind took a dangerous turn as I conceived how I would take him out. I still had Bella's little dart gun and knew she had more tranquilizers with her. I could hang him up and start target practice on his hide. I heard some old saying about stringing up a cat from a clothes line and if I had to give Quil my dryer to make a clothes line look inconspicuous to Bella then I'd haul it outside as soon as I got back.

The silence I had previously taken for granted was no longer so as the pack doubled over in laughter. Coming to a halt in front of the guys I tried to understand what their amusement was about. The last voice I wanted to hear stood out over the raucous gawffing.

"I can really have your dryer? Yessss, a double whammy! Wait until I tell Claire." The laughter didn't cease one bit over Quil's explicit thoughts with appliances but more than one wolf groaned amidst the humor at the implications.

"Why the hell do you find this so funny, Quil? It was just this morning that the evil monster was hunting for you." If a wolf could seethe then that is exactly what I was doing.

"Oh, I know but I've totally taken care of that future problem." Quil flashed images of the many traps he had set up. Jesus, he was going to catch every piece of wildlife that got within a mile of his place. From traps to pits to an oversized piece of fly paper now lining the first five interior feet of his chimney, there wasn't any way to approach the house without tripping one of the traps. "So yeah," Quil smirked, "it is funny because your ass has to live with that thing and I don't." My own mind drifted to the first time I had met the monster in question and Quil's laughter resumed in full force.

"Bees, Quil, bees," I mentally shouted. Sure enough I was rewarded with a vision of Quil-James Bond style- covered in a swarm of black and yellow. The memory was too fresh and Quil started jumping around and yelling 'fuck' as we relived the torturous fun. Eventually the pain vanquished the humor from that day and I commanded him to stop so the rest of us could be spared the visuals of Quil pulling stingers out of his ass. Fate must have painted a bull's eye on Quil; he was always taking it up the butt.

The guys were inconsolable in their humor and as they quieted down so they could attempt to breath Sam projected his thought at hand. "Jacob, why are you at such odds with a house pet? Just the other night you talked as if the creature was important since it's Bella's. Why the sudden hit man plan for the cat?"

"That fucking cat has a death wish. Shut it, Quil!" I interjected before continuing my assault on Vatan, "I swear, it's like he knows how to hit me below the belt on every little thing. Since day one he's had it out for me and the only thing that's kept me from burying him alive six feet under is Bella." As if my night could get any worse the whole pack fell over, once again in laughter.

Even Sam, whom I thought was the most mature, chuckled heavily before continuing, "Jacob, stop personifying the cat. It's just a harmless creature doing normal things. I doubt he has it out for you."

"If you only knew, Sam, if you only knew. I'm telling you that thing has a higher than average cat intelligence. Look." I conjured up the scene of Vatan spitting out the chewed keychain and then later when he finally appeared with a note that could have saved me several hours of heartache thinking Bella had been abducted or worse, killed.

"Jacob, I think you are over exaggerating here. Van is just a cat, nothing more."Sam may be older than me but he had no idea what he was talking about. Neither did Paul but that didn't stop him from hazing me.

"So the time has finally come that the great mighty Alpha, Jacob Black, finds himself with a pussy he can't tame in the bedroom."

"Paul, I swear to god, one more fucking thought out of you and I'll send you to Sea World with Quil!" The threat and implications should have shut everyone up and for most of them, it did. Except now Fate had a new friend in Paul as he and Quil excitedly discussed the pros and cons of marine life. Collin, bless him, diverted everyone's attention away from the use of an eel.

"What if he's not?" he asked quietly. His thoughts were murky and I could only pick out brief images of star covered garments and what looked like a tower.

"Not what? Controlled by Fate? He sure as fuck is!" I knew for a fact Fate dictated all of Vatan's mannerisms. Paul's sudden shout brought me back into their conversation. "Paul, if you fucking bring home a lobster to my sister for anything but her dining pleasure I will anchor your ass to the bottom of the ocean and you will be forced to chew off your feet to return topside." If no one else had been around to distract me, I would have shredded Paul as he snickered over what he would still be able to do footless.

"No, what if he's not just a cat?" Collin asked over Paul and Quil's bawdiness. Never before had I found it difficult to multi converse, but with the present topics, there was always a first.

"Collin have you been sniffing something of Quil's again? Of course it's a cat. He's sure as fuck not an elephant! What else could he be?" Growling loudly to interrupt Quil, Paul decided to antagonize on Collin's opinion.

"He kinda reminds me of a badger on steroids." Paul's statement reminded Quil of when they used to go find unsuspecting beavers and strap dynamite to them and watch as the creatures crawled back into their homes before detonating them. I fucking prayed that if I ever had a son, he would be nowhere near as delinquent as those two.

"Very funny, Paul. What I mean is look at us, we're wolves. And according to you, Jake, Bella's family members are vampires and she doesn't have a clue. Who knows how many other legends are real that have yet to be proven even to us." The force behind Collins words sent me into a tailspin. Fate was clinging on for the ride.

"Oh god! Bella made a comment about chewycups or whatever that shit was. Is that what Vatan is?" Fuck it all to hell, what kind of Alpha was I not to even realize that there were other monsters in the world with us?

"Actually, Jake, chewycups are-" What looked like a strip bar started to fill everyone's mind and the Alpha injunction rumbled out of me.

"Quil, I swear to god don't even finish that thought. I really, really don't want to know." Everybody but Paul breathed in relief.

"Fuck, Quil! Tell me later on the walk home. I bet Rachel would like them."

"Paul, I'm already having a mental breakdown over my imprint's cat that may not be a cat. Could you please not think about my sister and sex toys? I'd really like that part of my life to be blissfully ignorant. Collin, please continue."

"Well, remember that movie about the witches and wizards. In it one of the witches had a really smart cat but it wasn't all cat. It was some kind of half-breed. I can't recall what its name was, Crookshot or something."

"You think my imprint is a witch, with a familiar?" My jaw was hanging open so wide, Fate could have built a city inside.

"Well now, I don't know about that, Jake. I was just saying that if you think Van or Vatan or whatever his name is, might be something more than a cat maybe we need to look for other possibilities. I wish I could remember what the creatures name was, though. Maybe it was Crimpy shoes or Cranky pants. I know it started with the letter C but I just can't remember right now."

"What the hell does it matter? Cripplesniff, Crooked dick, or Cumsnarfs, I don't care! You're telling me that Vatan is somehow not part of the normal animal kingdom. How do you know this?" I could barely hear Collin over the rest of the guys. Jared and Paul had erupted into loud hysterical laughter. Their wolven forms were shaking so hard that they were forced to support each other upright with their furred shoulders and Brady had lost it to the point of phasing back into human form.

"I don't, Jake. I just meant that it could be an avenue worth pursuing if you think the animal isn't acting normal." My anger was not tempered with Collin's soothing half assed reassurances and I felt myself losing mental control.

"What the fuck do I know about normal for a cat? He's just a conniving piece of shit and I wish Bella wasn't so damn attached to him." Briefly my thoughts floated back to the idea of each family of the tribe temporarily adopting one of these creatures.

"Oh fuck no, Jake," Quil whined mid laughter. "Claire has not shut up about the Vatan monster since Friday. Please don't tell me I have to give in on that whim of hers?" I tried to calm myself before answering. After all I had just heard, the last thing I wanted was more problems of the mythical kind.

"Probably not, Quil. The last thing I want is a horde of Crinkly Cumsharts invading our land." No one except Collin could see the seriousness to this and I needed my mind alone to ponder the information. "The meeting's over, guys. Somebody make sure Brady gets back home. We'll see how long he thinks it's funny to be dragged back there by the scruff of the neck. Guys, just keep your normal patrol shifts, I'll talk to you later." Phasing back, I took off at a dead run to return home. If Vatan was some other mythological being, these guys would be of no help in ascertaining that fact. Once I was from view, I slowed down to erase all thought of the demon.

Fuck! How could such a promising day turn into a disaster, head back in the direction of a fantastic night and then turn to shit again? Sam thought it was just a cat and so would any normal human. I had in fact been giving Vatan a persona. The stupid thing still ate rodents, pissed in a box and licked himself; who could think he was anything but a pet? However, Collin had made a valid point. We kept ourselves unknown from the world, would it be so ludicrous to think that other creatures wouldn't do the same? But why would he stay with Bella, then? My thoughts got further and further away from control. Bella had said the vampires gave her the pet and less then forty eight hours ago two vampires had shown up to try to take her. My steps halted completely. What if Vatan had contacted them about our location? I didn't want to think about it but now I had no choice. If the shit ball was a spy, I would have to off him. I pictured it, telling him we knew what he was and that the game was over. Maybe right before death he would speak, tell us what exactly he was and if there were more. My grin grew as I continued to walk home. What would be a fitting death sentence for such an evil entity? Bella's anguished and pained face came forth and my grin faltered. Regardless of the traitor's actions, she still loved the matted douche bag. Fate was of no help and I vowed to do some more research in the matter before making such a decision. I would need to read up about cats to begin with and learn what was and wasn't acceptable behavior. I would deal with him later; right now I wanted to think about my promised cuddle time.

Quietly I crept back into the house, ready for some bedroom action. Fate, however, wanted to play. Sitting at the base of the stairs was the demon. He had that Linda Blair look again and I shivered at the implications. Reminding myself that he was just a cat for now, I spoke to it.

"I'm on to you, bitch. All those cutesy moves you make are just a sham, aren't they? I may not know what your breed is specifically but I will find out. You better hope you're normal or I have a very unpleasant surprise awaiting your Downey balls. I'll snuggle your fat ass in to an industrial sized washing machine if you don't tone that shit down and you'll end up looking like that demented bear all the soccer moms coo over. How does that sound?" I was on a roll and Vatan knew it. With a simple sniff he padded away to take cover under my pool table.

"Yeah, that's what I thought Cujo-ette. You keep your stink down here tonight; Bella's waiting for me to make her purr, not you." Taking the steps two at a time I reached my desired paradise. Bella was sprawled out leisurely in a skimpy negligee with her hair piled loosely on top of her head.

"Jake, you're naked!" Bella stated kind of hesitantly. I couldn't help but smirk as she seemed to be focused on something below eye level.

"I know. Clothes don't survive the transformation so we usually shed them beforehand. Since I was just coming to bed anyways I figured I'd save myself the hassle." Reluctantly she pulled her eyes back up to meet mine her voice breathy.

"Wow, that didn't take long. Is everything okay?" Fuck did she know how much her voice oozed sexiness? I couldn't stop staring at her perfect pink lips and thinking of the possible activities they were better suited for.

Walking to the bed to join her, I answered, "Just the usual, nothing to worry about." Grabbing the clip from her hair, it tumbled down her shoulders and back. Bella shook her head softly to distribute the curls then pointed to the nightstand. The click of the clip hitting the surface happened the same second I shut off the light before rolling over and on top of Bella to capture her lips with mine. Deep in the back of her throat she moaned and I settled part of my weight in between Bella's legs on her core, rocking my hips back and forth slightly.

"Jake," she gasped, trying to pull away from my conquering lips. "What are you doing?" Moving down her jaw line to just under her ear, I licked slowly before answering.

"Bella," blowing gently on the dampened area I continued, "What does it feel like I'm doing? I'm attempting to make love to my very sexy, incredibly passionate girlfriend." I returned to my assault on her neck and moved down to her shoulder, pushing away the gauzy straps of her nightie.

"I realize that but…Oh!" With a few simple moves, her garment was gone and silently I cheered in victory that she was now naked. Nuzzling at her breasts, Bella attempted to finish her question. "I mean what happened to just cuddling?"

Pulling away from her nipple that clearly needed my massaging lips, I answered, "We're going to cuddle all right. It's just that certain parts of me require more cuddling than others." With a swift buck, I pressed against her again tightly, my erection gliding over her moist center.

"Wait!" she cried out. Pulling away from her so that I hovered about an inch over her form, I searched her face. With a sheepish look, Bella gave me her answer. "What if I don't feel like making love?"

"I, uhh, well yeah of course. I mean we don't have to do anything you don't want to." Flipping over so that I was on my back next to her, I tried to slow my lust. Not paying attention to the naked woman next to me was short of impossible and I turned to my favorite past time of cursing Fate. Bella's next words shattered any concentration I may have had.

"How about for tonight, we just fuck." That was in no way a question but a demand. I had to grip the sheets not to react to the raw lust in her eyes as she grabbed a condom and perched in front of me. With one hand and her teeth, she ripped the package open while using her other hand to pump me torturously slow. Deftly she rolled the condom down my shaft her hands caressing and stroking to the point of begging.

"Jacob, look at me!" Bella was still stroking me but used her free hand to run across her breasts, teasing and pinching her pert nipples. Following the movement of her fingers, I watched as they trailed down to her mont where she languidly rubbed herself as well while moaning. My look must have told her I was less than five seconds away from tackling her because she crawled forward on her knees to hover over me. Aligning herself above my rock hard cock she lowered her body taking me in just a few inches.

Bringing her coated fingers to my lips she brushed them over and I licked off her essence one finger at a time. Pulling her hand back, she grabbed my hips and slammed down on me, completely sheathing my aching cock. Up and down she rocked her hips and I found myself gripping her hips in encouragement. Fuck, she was wild in her lovemaking as she pushed up, down back and forward. Her movements became harder and her hands drifted up to my chest, rubbing and needing in desire.

She was so close to an orgasm and as her walls started to tremble around me, I pulled her forward. Savagely I bit her nipple as she screamed out in pleasure and as her release overtook her I lightly licked and nourished the sensitive area. Her body had nearly slowed and I gave one last lavishing lick to her breasts.

"We're not done yet." Flipping her over she gave out a startled squeak as I lifted her legs over my shoulders and rammed into her, pausing to feel the exquisite warmth completely surrounding me. She started to move and I stilled her, leaning over to whisper into her ear, "Do you want this? Do you want me to make you scream in pleasure?" She moaned in renewed desire and with a patience I never knew I even had, I slowly pumped in and out of her. Gradually I increased the pace and my fingers moved down between her legs to rub over her deliciously swollen and dripping lips.

"Jake," pant, pant, gasp," I'm so close. Please," she begged as I continued to tease her area of desire.

"I know you are, baby." Applying more pressure to her throbbing clit, Bella bucked wildly beneath me. I increased my tempo as her body began to peak. "I want to hear you scream your pleasure. Tell me how good it feels."

"Jake…ugh…oh my god…oh…now, baby I'm cumming." It felt like her whole body clamped around me as she came taking me with her. Even after my own release had finished, I could still feel her body tremor with post coital release. Gently I kissed her panting lips before pulling out. She winced at the movement and I hurried to clean up before crawling back into bed to lift her on top of me. Soothingly I ran my hands up and down her back as her breathing returned to normal and I couldn't keep the grin off of my face.

"We should cuddle more often," I teased. She arched slightly before settling back into me and I cherished the feeling of breasts pressed into my chest.

"I'm too tired to cuddle. Can we just sleep now please?" Bella was whispering and glowing with contentment.

"You bet, honey. Go to sleep." Kissing the top of her head as she snuggled into me, I could feel both of our bodies relaxing. Just before succumbing to the drowsiness I had a brief thought as to what Vatan was up to. Fate hummed its lullaby and I was out.

Waking up to your soul mate grinning lovingly at you, caused my toes to curl in happiness. Judging by the amount of light in the room, I guessed it to be around ten in the morning. No disturbing howls, no troublesome phone calls and absolutely no morning panic as I woke up to my Bella still sprawled on top of me after a luxurious night of sex and sleep. Scanning the room my toes nearly knotted themselves in excitement as I realized that there wasn't even a pesky fur demon in the room. My smile must have been blinding as Bella started to giggle. Lightly she poked me in the chest.

"Why are you so happy this morning?"

"Because I woke up and realized that last night was the first of many more perfect nights to come. Every day I'll get to wake up and see your gorgeous face next to me in our bed and then I'll remember all of the incredible sex we had before going to sleep."

"So we're going to have sex every night?" She had recognized the male cockiness that slipped out in my statement and was smirking with her own naughty thoughts.

"No," I replied watching her smile dim just a little before continuing. "We are also going to have sex every morning and every afternoon. Maybe some snack time sex throughout the day also. You know, to tie us over." Once again sitting upright on top of me, she started laughing. In this position her body pressed into mine in all the right places and I had to grip her hips to keep from taking complete advantage.

"Jacob, if we have to buy that many condoms, people are going to think we're nymphomaniacs. Or that you're a pimp." Wrapping her hands around mine, she pressed down once before prying my fingers away and skidding off. I quickly followed suite out of the bed.

"No way. People are just going to be jealous that I have such a hot ass girlfriend who demands so much of my body." My arms encircled her from behind capturing her in a backward hug. She lifted her arms and I leaned down so she could wrap them around my neck.

"Ha ha, very funny, Jake. Not to disrupt your fantasies, but would you like me to make breakfast?" Damn her. She wiggled her ass suggestively and I had to remember we weren't solely talking about sex. I decided a compromise was the best bet.

"How about you let me tell you a little bit more about fantasies in the shower? Then I'll make us breakfast." Swatting her ass gently, she giggled at my form of play and then dashed off to the bathroom. I was more than hot on her heels and after we had depleted the hot water supply in the shower – Holy Fuck, her lips should come with a warning advisory – I made breakfast.

Over eggs and toast we discussed her proposed move. After hemming and hawing over the cost of hiring movers I told her we could simply take a couple of the guys from the pack with us. It wouldn't take loner then one day to pack everything and then the next morning we could rent a U-Haul moving vehicle to transport the stuff back to La Push. I wasn't worried about any costs or hassles but Bella was. After assuring her that all she had to do was put them up for the night in Seattle and feed them unlimited pizza, the guys would be more than willing. I wanted to tell her that even if they complained, I could just order it but that didn't seem to meet one of her imperatives and I kept the thought to myself. As giddy as fate was over the move, somehow they turned the tables back to discussing sex. With the grace of a drunk walking a tightrope I brought up the topic of contraceptives.

"Well…you know…if you wanted to…you could always get a prescription for birth control." Shit, I sounded like a drunk as well as I stumbled over the words any two mature adults should be able to talk about without being embarrassed.

"That's probably…there's a lot going on right now. Maybe we could revisit the conversation at a later time? I mean, we just agreed to me moving in." Bella was stumbling too but not in embarrassment. It was more like a nervousness and as usual, I had to wade through it on my own.

"Bella, it's not a life-long commitment getting on the pill. Why do you sound so nervous?" Reaching across the table, I clasped her hand. With a returning squeeze and smirk, Bella looked me dead in the eyes.

"Jacob, have you ever had to wear a paper gown in a room that could freeze water instantly while some stodgy doctor gropes your crotch? It's not the most pleasant of experiences." I really could have done without that visual and Bella could tell she had made her point.

Lounging on a recliner in the downstairs game room, I was trying to rewrite the schematics Vatan had destroyed. Bella was across from me, in her own chair, reading a book. My concentration was almost hopeless. Every time she turned a page my eyes would seek her out to stare, watching the lines of her legs, the curves of hips and usually resting on her chest as she breathed softly lost in thought. It was no better if I started at the top. Her hair floated around her and I would remember the feel of it as it brushed my thighs in last night's impromptu rodeo ride. Her lips were just as plump as they had been in the shower and I fidgeted as I remembered how she had used them to make me cry out for erotic mercy. Even her fingers, which gripped my hips in a perfect fit regardless of the activity, made me lost to all reason.

I was just about to get up and remind her of my promised snack time when the doorbell rang. We didn't get door to door salesmen out here and any of the pack would have just entered using the back door. Bella looked at me questioningly as I hesitated.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Bella inquired. Not wanting to sound like an idiot and tell her the only person it could possibly be was Fate, I shook my head and sprinted up to the main floor to answer the door. _It's broad daylight; how bad can it be?_

Swinging open the door I saw the retreating figure of a man jogging back to a Fed-Ex truck. Hearing the sound, he stopped and jogged back to me. "I'm looking for a Mr. Jacob Black?"

"That's me," I replied, twitching my ears. Even in human form, some habits were unbreakable and I relaxed, knowing this was nothing but a normal encounter.

"I need you to sign here for delivery conformation," holding out an electronic tablet he waited for me to take it.

"Conformation for what? I'm not expecting anything." Fate handed me the missing unease. Any contracts would have gone straight to my lawyer first. After affixing a ten hour price tag on less than an hour's worth of work, he would have called to let me know he was either sending them for a signature or explaining any loopholes he wanted to fix before I agreed.

"Look, I just deliver to the addresses, Sir. I'm not given an inventory of what's in every package I drop off." _Oh, there was Fate. _The man's voice was cocky and bored. I didn't appreciate it in the least and angrily I grabbed the device from his hands. Scribbling a signature on the pad, I handed it back to Fate's lackey. After typing some digits he handed me a slim envelope smiled and left.

Closing the door, I leaned back against it to flip over the package, causing a current of air to move across it. My hands began to shake and my nostrils flared as the distinctive stench penetrated my senses. Typed in neat, bold print was my name and address. There were no logos, return address or any type of clues as to where it had come from. Bella came out of nowhere with my ringing cell phone.

Smiling weakly at her, I answered, "Hello."

"Jake, it's Chris Haroldson from Asgard Holdings. Look, we've been reviewing plans and you are it. Your sustaining system for the Mars program has blown away all of the competition. I need you here, in L.A. on Wednesday, to meet with the investors and answer their questions. This is it, man!" My knees felt weak. Asgard Holdings provided an unlimited supply of products for NASA. A call from them asking me to join in one of their projects was like being invited to dinner with the president. Bella touched my arm and mouthed she was going back downstairs. VoldeVatan ran after her, bringing me back to the present.

"Uh, Wednesday? As in the day after tomorrow?" Chris and I were what one would call business friends. He had sat in on a few past presentations I had given and we often went out to share a few beers.

"Yes, this Wednesday. I know it's kind of short notice, but this project is ready to go. The government has been dicking us around and we finally got the green light."

"Chris, look, I'm flattered and all, but now isn't the best time for me to be traveling. Can't we just do a conference with this one?"

"Jake, I hate wearing the monkey suit and kissing ass as much as you do, but these guys are serious. We're talking over five billion total in labor and machinery; twenty million of which is yours alone."

"Twenty million dollars? Chris, I can't commit to such a large project as this. You're talking about at least a year and a half of labor and that's with fifteen hour days, seven days a week."

"No, I'm not. Jake, they only want you to build two of the models for them to take. You don't even have to construct them here. Once you've built those little beauties, a team will pick them up and you just have to devote a week at the most to go over the specs and procedures. I'm telling you, this is a dream come true." Fate showed me dreams: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, John Kennedy. It wasn't the miracles these people had achieved that I was remembering. It was the fact that they had all been shot.

"You make it sound like a given. If they already want the models, why do I need to be in L.A.?"

"What is wrong with you? We are talking about twenty million dollars. Obviously they want to see you in the flesh and throw out scenario questions and such. We're only talking about three days, tops. I know you've been home for a month or so, don't you want to make your Quilquake people proud?"

"Quileute and yeah, I do but-"

"Jake, I know you. If this is about some pretty young thing just bring her along. You can't tell me your flavor of the week wouldn't be more excited to see the hustle and bustle of L.A. over the Ever-fucking-greens of dreary Washington?"

"Chris, listen. I'm all for the project going through, you know that, but this week-"

"Great, then I'll see you on Wednesday. Maybe we can all go out to dinner and I can meet the girl that has you so hesitant about completing your life dream. Right now, I have to go. Some government asshole is breathing down my neck about a faulty rig and I have to play official kiss ass. Don't let me down, my secretary will fax over the meeting location and what not. I'll see you on Wednesday." With a click he was gone and I groaned in defeat.

Of course, I had to go; I'd be an idiot not to. With the completion of this project I could easily retire for a few years and focus on just Bella. But I knew that in the envelope in my hand was some sort of devastating news. Checking to make sure Bella wasn't in the immediate vicinity, I slowly peeled open the envelope to see what awaited me. Inside was a lone piece of parchment with a hand written single paragraph. I only read it once and my throat turned dry. This couldn't possibly be happening to me and my response was mandatory and immediate.

Running for the back door, I yelled a quick hasty goodbye to Bella before stripping and phasing. With a single shattering howl, I took off. I only prayed that the pack joined quickly or there would be hell to pay.


	22. Femp

_QPOV:_

_Almost there. Almost there. Almost there._ Fuck, why did I keep saying that? My ass had never run so fast before and just because I knew I had less than two minutes of my patrol to finish didn't make the distance any shorter or closer.

I wanted to stop and dance a little ditty. I knew my Alpha's imprint had to be flawed somehow. Any chick that grew up with vamps had to be missing a few stops on her elevator. My luck had changed when I heard Jake out at his car a few hours ago.

His imprint was a dope-head or hemp-head or whatever she fancied herself as. Jake was fucking blind if he thought she was just a recreational user. The moment he pulled out that little baggie -well fuck, it was far from little. But the moment I had grabbed it, I knew I had found Mecca.

What kind of idiot did he think I was? Nobody traveled around with a bag that large of cat-nip. Damn, if that had been the case, Bella would have had a fucking pet tiger or some shit. Besides, if she was Jake's imprint, she wouldn't associate with cats. It was like fucking golden rule number uno where imprints were concerned. They were our perfect mates and that didn't include some pansy-pussy addiction. It did, however, seem to include an herbal addiction.

If Bella was sucking a steam roller then I had no doubts that Jake was right there with her. Sure, he fucking whined like a Sally bitch about being all Mr. Goody Two Shoes but clearly he was more of a Mr. Goody Two Shots. Secretly he could get high and blame it on his imprint, claiming how he had to since the misses certainly wouldn't want to toke all by her lonesome. He could pretend all he wanted, but I was kind of proud of him for not sending her to rehab or some shit. She must be giving him some fuckawesome, jizz jumping sex to make him forget about her hookah habit.

Clearing the edge of the yard, I was about five paces in when I felt a phase.

"Hey, Quil, how's it going? Anything new or suspicious?" Brady asked, as he shook out his coat.

"Everything's clear, gotta go. No problems," I streamlined out. Jake had given me the okay, but he was still one cranky bitch, and I had no idea if he wanted anyone else to know just yet about his imprint's pot perfection.

With one last push, I hurled myself onto the back porch, phasing mid-air and landing solidly on two human feet. That baggie was just itchin' to be burned, and I was officially off the clock. Stepping into my house, I didn't bother calling out for Claire. She wasn't here, and I sure as hell wasn't about to wait for her ass to come home so we could smoke together. If there was any left when she showed up, I'd share. Otherwise, she'd just have to reap the benefits of my relaxed body. Maybe I could reap something from her as well…

Heading for the kitchen, I made a huge ass roast beef sandwich while trying to remember where the fuck I had last seen my rolling papers. It had been awhile, and after Jake had thrown such a shit fit about using crap, I wondered if maybe Claire hadn't gotten rid of them.

Twenty minutes later and I was ready to cry. Not a single fucking rolling paper to be found. Fuck me if I had to be all teenager about it and run out to the store to buy a pack of smokes. I couldn't believe the lameness of the Council in deciding that it was okay to sell cigarettes but not zigs. And fuck, Claire had gone shopping the other day so it wasn't like I wouldn't have enough food to help with the side effects. Opening the pantry, I pulled out the desired requirements: Doritos, Mountain Dew, Chewy Chips Ahoy, Ritz crackers and cheese in a can. Reaching farther into the cabinet, I pulled out one last jar, staring at it so intently I forgot all about the kicker.

Cupcake never did elaborate on it and neither did Jake. Jesus Christ, though. Cupcake did say pointblank she liked peanut butter on her 'meat'. It had to have a double meaning; one that she was simply testing the waters with on Jake. The more I stared at the jar, the more I became convinced. Jake was Alpha, meaning he got the bomdiggity of sex, courtesy of his imprint. If naughtiness levels were upped with PB, I was more than willing to jam with it. Claire didn't have a blood tie to Jake, so all I needed to do was mention how fabulous his sex was with his freak and Claire would want to play.

Double checking to make sure I had all of the necessary food supplies, another box caught my attention. Holy fuck, my ass could stay right here and get high. A box of unopened, crisp, white coffee filters sat alone almost glowing in a ray of celestial bliss. Fuck, it wasn't trashier than modifying a cigarette and the best part was, I didn't even need to leave the damn house. 'Thank You, Mr. Coffee' had never sounded so sweet.

With all of my newly acquired supplies, I went back out into the yard. Since I was doing this shit alone, for now, not including the peanut butter, I was going to hot-box this shit in the shed. I was skipping like Mr. Fucking Rogers on his way to some cable car meeting as I made my way into the temple. Fuck the Amish; they had nothing on us when it came to Native Americans and wood working. A god damn tidal wave could have hit us and as long as it swept in and out quickly, my ass would stay bone dry in the shed. Good thing too, because that meant none of this fine weed I was about to blaze up would escape from the enclosed temple.

Dumping all of my requirements on the work bench, I tore into the box of filters. Marveling at just how damn big they were compared to regular rolling papers and the current supply of leave-age in my pocket, I knew this would be one hell of a joint. Fuck, there was probably enough to make at least two big fat blunts. If I didn't think Jake would shit a truckload of Twinkies, I'd take a picture of this glorious feast and send it in to High Times.

Studying the bag of bliss, it appeared different than my last dimer. Pulling apart the locking tabs, the scent hit me. Whatever was in the folds of the plastic, I had never encountered it. Sticking my nose directly above the source, I sniffed a few times. The aroma wasn't as weed-ish as good bud usually is, but Cupcake was a doctor; this wouldn't be any bammer shit or ass-weed.

I continued to study it as I poured nearly a third of it onto one of the filters. Wrapping and sealing it was tricky as shit and when I finally held up the finished product my eyes grew wide. Holy goat sucking ganja! This was the god of all joints; King Kong himself couldn't have rolled a phatty like this. Thank the grass, I had one of those long assed grill lighters to flame up this bitch.

Clearing off a nearby lawn chair, I plopped my happy ass down, flicked my Bic and started the chant: Puff, puff, pass. Puff, puff, hold it…just a little longer…exhale and pass. Not having any other greedy dicks or luscious imprints with me, I simply passed it off from one hand to another as the wisps of burning glory rose and hovered above the low ceiling.

Somewhere around puff ten or twelve, I could usually feel the creeping effects of relaxation. Instead, my ears twitched to the sounds of….was that birds? Inhaling deeply once again, I went for the kill and attempted to ghost it. By holding in and not exhaling for as long as possible, there would be virtually no smoke leaving my lungs.

Thirty minutes later and the first blunt was nearly gone. Twice I had almost ruined my hot-box when, without warning, my mind became absolutely fascinated with the sounds coming from the outside woodland varmints. What the fuck was wrong with me? I sure as hell didn't feel high, but fuck a buck if I didn't want to go and roll in the yard. Actually the idea of hunting a buck sounded pretty fucking awesome; using my claws, I could dig into the flesh and feel the blood oozing from the wound I would cause.

The near silent twitter of a raccoon propelled my body to the window. Taking the final drag of blunt number one, I felt like I had been shit on by a load of bricks. Holy fucking smutty whores! This shit was audio-bud! I wanted to drop to my knees and tongue rape Betty Crocker in thanks for giving Jake such a fucked up, fabulous imprint. Cupcake sure as hell wasn't normal, but she damn well knew about proper drugs.

In my haste to prepare the second joint, I dropped the damn filter and reached down to pick it up. Like one of the seven signs from heaven, I found my reward. Here, underneath the work bench was a weeder's BFF: My high school shop project, a gravity bong.

Any fool could make one; hell, Jacob had helped me complete the one I now held. His pansy ass had never helped me christen the damn thing but Claire had. Fucking Larry Flynt would have given me a million dollars for even fifteen minutes worth of pictures from that spunktacular night. And fuck, if I wasn't some protector werewolf creature that had to stay below the grid, I would have hand delivered such pictures myself.

The bong was so much easier to use than rolling. It also gave out much more in a single hit than the blunt. Five minutes later and I was back to meeting my Mecca or maybe it was becoming a Mecca. Whatever the shit phrase was, I was on my way; not even stirring when a fox ran by giving chase to whatever furry shitters they craved. It was all part of the audio experience and I was loving life.

Claire finally got home about fifteen minutes after I finished the entire damn bag. I knew I had to be high, but this was the funkiest shit I had ever tried. I finally went back into the house and sprawled out on the couch with my munchies. When Claire sat down next to me, I realized I had left the peanut butter outside. She must have known that I had indulged and was wearing one of my favorite smiles.

"Hi, baby. Did you have a nice patrol?" She asked, curling up next to me as I flung my arm over her shoulders. Resting her head on my chest she drew her nails up and down hard; just like I liked it.

"Fuck yeah, I did! Jake gave me the green on gash; that bitch even supplied me with some." Looking up at me, I thought she'd be as giddy as I was. I wasn't high enough not recognize anger when I saw it.

"You got high? And without me? Quil, your ass better have saved me at least a roach. Tell me you didn't smoke that shit without sharing?" Damn, now she was ticked and it probably wasn't the best time to let her know we would get a chance to do it together, at a later date.

"Aww, bear, don't be mad. I smoked it real slow, waiting for you, but you weren't here. Besides, you know you like it when I'm all relaxed and shit and you can have your wicked way with me." Switching from puppy dog eyes to the come-fuck-me-now look, I knew I had hit the sex-pot.

"Is that so, Mr. Wolf? And just what kind of wickedness do you want me to do, exactly?" All I could think was 'Hell yeah' as her hand dove straight underneath the waist of my shorts and grabbed my dick. Fuck it felt good and the moment she crawled over me to straddle my lap, I knew we were about take my favorite ride.

"Baby, aren't you happy to see me? I thought you wanted me to take advantage of my misbehaving wolf?" Claire was tugging on me, and even though it felt a little different, there was no mistaking the arousal I was envisioning.

"Hell yes, I do and it feels fan-fucking-tastic!" I almost purred. Holy shit! Back the whip-me wagon up. I was a wolf, I growled, barked, snarled, rumbled, hell I even mother fucking howled but never did I fucking purr. I could feel something whipping back and forth and it sure as fuck wasn't my goddamn dick. Was that a…tail, I was imagining. Maybe it hadn't been audio bud.

"Sweetie, you aren't even hard," Claire pouted out. Mother fucking noodles! What the fuck was wrong with me? The love of my life is pumping me like a god damn oil refinery and I'm not even hard! Thank fucking horniness that my Claire wasn't a quitter.

"Maybe you require some oral stimulation," she purred directly in my ear before latching on to it and grinding the soft flesh with her delicious little teeth. Shifting my bear so she could still attend to my ear, I was out of my clothes faster than a fat kid can swallow cake.

Oral sex was supposed to be about foreplay or getting off but me and bear didn't waste our time with that slow build-up shit. Once my shorts hit the deck, she immediately slid off the couch, onto her knees and deep-throated me. Except, it didn't seem to help my problem and Claire was getting pissed.

Pulling me out of her mouth, she gave me a look no man wants to see from his beautiful wife: pity.

"Honey, if you really don't want to do this now, you could have just said no."

"Bear, no! I'm horny as all hell; I just think I need more stimulation because of the pot. Please keep going, baby, I'll get there." Closing my eyes, I leaned back into the cushions and focused on the movements of her tongue as she happily continued. With a skill only my Claire could give me, she deftly licked, sucked and nipped every spot that usually caused me to growl in ecstasy. It's not like the shit didn't feel good, but my fucking traitorous dick didn't want to cooperate.

Feeling her glide that beautiful muscle of hers up and down my shaft was better than any fucking weed. Damn, her mouth was wet and with each twist, whether it was her hand or mouth, I felt like I was her. The tongue movements were mine in a freaky out-of body experience sort of way. Having your girl suck it and feeling the effects is one thing; pretending or seeing it as yourself licking your own goddamn Johnson and enjoying it went way beyond any comfort level I felt like sharing.

"Baby, get off of me. I need to do it myself!" I was shaking, panting and straining in one fucked up unbelievable type of nightmare. I couldn't hide this shit from her, but she sure as fuck wasn't going to be a spectator for it.

"You want to blow yourself? What the fuck is wrong with you, Quil?" She had pulled back completely and was giving me a look of doubt worthy of Jake.

"No! Yes! I mean, no I don't want to suck my own dick, but suddenly I feel like I need to. I just… I don't know! I need to lick myself and roll around or something! Fuck, help me!"

"You know what, Quil? This isn't funny anymore. When you can figure out just what the fuck you need me for, when you obviously think you can suck your own dick better than I can, you let me know. Until then, I don't want to see your ass anywhere near here until you can apologize for the nastiness of whatever game this is!" Claire rose up and stomped away from my naked ass on the couch. Jumping at the sound of our bedroom door slamming shut, I knew I had fucked up somehow. The need to groom myself was growing stronger and the last fucking thing I wanted my imprint or anyone else to see, was me attempting to suck myself. Grabbing my shorts, I fled out into the forest. Still in human form, I ran for several miles before slowing down to lick my arm.

Fuck, it was so goddamn wrong and yet felt so fucking good. I was never going to live this down and decided my only chance at redemption would be to phase. At least then I could lick myself properly. The second I felt fur cover me, my tongue came out and brushed it over my flank before sitting down to take care of the most important area: my dick.

"Hey, Quil. Why are you back, I thought you already did your patrol?" Brady's mental voice shocked the shit out of me as I sat there with my tongue hanging out and stretching to relieve my itch just inches away. I yanked that fucker back so quickly, I honestly felt like a frog catching a damn fly. Not even bothering to respond, I phased back and sat in the grass to cry. Why oh why couldn't a wolf just lick himself without a fucking audience? There was never any peace in the werewolf world.


	23. Faterlude

Howling once again, I picked up the pace. Due to the nature of the meeting we couldn't group at my house; Bella would freak more than I was. I was so intent on my direction, I missed that I wasn't the only wolf presently phased.

"Jake, what's wrong? Where are we going?" Ash's thoughts cut through my own as he raced towards my location.

"Where are you?" I thought, not paying attention to his surroundings. My paws dug into the earth as I picked up my pace, just barely accounting for the numerous trees and bushes.

"I'm just rounding the southeastern border. Where do I need to be?" Ash couldn't get an exact location despite being able to see where I was.

"Perfect. Go to my house and patrol in a constant five hundred feet perimeter. Once Justin phases, he'll be joining." Ash slowed down, realizing that I wasn't on a collision course for an immediate blood sucker.

"Don't you think that's a little bit of an overkill, Jake? I'm positive that with that small of an area, I'll have no trouble seeing any danger that may present itself."

"I'm not worried about you not seeing it. I'm worried that it might have friends. Bella is there, and she needs to be protected."

"This is a trap, isn't it? I heard and saw all about Quil's little incident with your imprint and her b.b. gun." Had he been closer, I would have trounced on him in fury. This was no time to be questioning an Alpha's orders. The sudden immergence of more wolves caught my attention.

"Justin, thank god! Get your ass over to my house and make sure you and Ash follow a counter clockwise pattern sweep at a designated interval. If you even think you smell something out of the ordinary, give the alarm immediately. The rest of you, we're meeting at my dad's house." I didn't want to have this meeting with a tail. I wanted to be able to walk around, gesture with my hands and not hear everyone's inner thoughts on this matter. Skidding to a stop just outside of my father's yard, I lost the fur and threw on my shorts. Barely two minutes passed before almost everyone was accounted for.

"Where's Collin?" I demanded of my peers. My agitation was high, and most of the pack stood on the other side of the yard hoping not to gain the attention of my wrath.

"He's with his family over in Port Angeles for the day. What's up with this meeting? You were howling like Satan was after you." Coming out of the trees, adjusting her shirt, Leah plopped down in the middle of the yard. She was probably the only wolf that could care less about my feelings. Much to Fate's disappointment, I had more pressing matters to discuss.

"This! This right here is what is wrong." Picking up the letter I had dropped after phasing, I held it out to the pack. Slowly everyone approached. Seth was the first to reach me and he took the note from hands and proceeded to read aloud.

"_Black,_

_That was not a wise decision on your part. Parties are angry and consequences must be dealt with. Release Isabella Cullen and grievances can be met without bloodshed on either side. We will come to you. Do not inform Ms. Cullen and do not try our patience. " _

Everyone had mixed emotions and after a few shuffles and false conversation starts, Jared spoke up.

"What are you going to do?"

"Obviously the only thing I can do. Bella will remain by my side at all times when not on the reservation. While she's here, there will be a wolf constantly stationed outside my house at all times." The anime Fate flashed to me was not pretty, and I growled as it tried to convince me that krazy glue and duct tape really could keep two people attached. I didn't appreciate the position Fate had Bella in, despite having just performed it last night.

"Jake, you can't leave without an escort this time. Bella's going to think something weird is going on if you insist on dragging her into every business meeting. Even if she was to tag along, I doubt your investors would appreciate the intrusion. What happens if there are more than two or three leeches at once? You wouldn't be able to both fight and protect her simultaneously. Hell, you don't even know who sent this." Sam was a good guy, but he wasn't telling me anything that I didn't already know.

"I know, okay. But I have to go to L.A. tomorrow for this meeting. The investors have already declined to accomplish this meeting with a telephone conference." With my hands uselessly flailing about, I began to pace in an odd oval pattern throughout the back yard. Fate, ever so helpfully, threw branches and twigs in my path that I kicked aside.

"If you have to leave, let Bella stay here. You know we will protect her just as well here as we would any other place," Leah supplied nonchalantly. Twirling around, I faced her with disbelief. She had no idea what she was asking of me.

"Be serious for one minute. Do you honestly think with such a threat at hand, I'd be able to be away from my mate for that long? I'd lose my fucking mind." Quil mumbles something about it being 'too late', and before I could reach him, Sam interceded.

"How do you plan to accomplish this, then?" Sam asked. Fate began to hiss at his questioning until I supplied an available answer to the problem. By the look, Fate had just gotten their pony.

"With the only option I have. Bella and I will go to L.A. and so will two other wolves to help guard her while I'm at the meetings."

"Fuck, man. If you're going to L.A., I'll volunteer for body guard. I can bring Rach along to keep Bella company." Barely registering Paul words, Quil spoke up while Fate showed me the benefits of their pony. Apparently Fate had been to Mexico one too many times.

"Paul, if Rach tells Claire where you guys are going, she'll insist on tagging along." The words finally clicked. _Fuck me!_ The last thing I needed was the mentally challenged of the group to accompany us out of the state. My answer was instantaneous.

"No, no and no! I am not hauling the four of you brats, along. Why the hell would you want to bring your imprints with you into such a dangerous situation to begin with?" I had to rethink my opinion. Was being completely brainless the same as mentally challenged? Not even an imprinted wolf with a partial brain could be so careless, and yet I seemed to have two such wolves in my pack.

Paul just scoffed. "The only time we really need to worry about vampires is at night. L.A. is too sunny to worry about daytime activity. Besides, by the time the sun sets, you'll be out of your meetings and the three of us should be more than capable of handling any type of parasitic activity. Nothing will go wrong." _Let me introduce you to my evil friend, Fate._

"As charming as you make it sound," I gritted out to Paul, "I'd prefer to take Sam and Seth with me on this one. What do you say, guys?" Casting my look at the two I waited for them to agree. Fate giggled and rigged the ballots.

"Sorry, Jake. I mean, obviously if you absolutely need me to, I'll go. It's just that I have that contractor's license renewal test this week. I can reschedule, but it's not given again until next month which means I can't work until I have it." Seth cast a weary glance to a smirking Quil and Paul. Before I could ask for a replacement, Sam spoke.

"Jake, if I go with you, and you know I would, that means Paul will be left as a temporary Alpha in your stead. It makes the most sense to send Paul with you. He is, after all, one of our more aggressive fighters. If Rachel accompanies the group, it will give the girls some time to become better aquatinted. I'm assuming Bella will be officially joining the family soon; let them bond outside the confines of home." As much as I loved my life, this was exactly why the Elders frowned on wolves seeking a life outside of the reservation. Of course had I not left the reservation to begin with, I wouldn't even have an imprint. Before Fate could announce the winners, I had to intercede. Regardless of what could have happened, I loved Bella and was not going to think about it in a guilty way.

"Fine, I'll concede on your logic on bringing Paul. However, I have another duty to bestow on Quil that requires both him and Claire to remain her in La Push." I had to stop and consider my words carefully; Claire's cooperation was needed to make this work. "Well, Quil has to stay, but I'm sure after I explain the situation to Bella and then she talks to Claire, Claire will be more than happy to stay. This still leaves me one wolf short." Pausing only long enough to take a breath, I rushed on, "Embry, I hate asking you this, but would you please coming along also? I need someone level headed on the trip to make sure Bella isn't mentally scarred." Paul's disappointing sigh was not because of my comment. That wolf had the emotional hide of a Rhino and only became flustered when my sister knocked him down a peg or two. He, along with Fate, was sad that their buddy Quil wouldn't be along for the torture fest known as 'Drive our Alpha, Jake, fucking crazy beyond belief'.

"You know I will, Jake. But if Paul's taking Rachel, my Sara is going to want to go also." Embry gave me an apologetic smile. Fuck me! Again! How could I have overlooked Sara? Apparently the penalty for protecting an Alpha's imprint was to risk mental stability and faintly, I could hear Fate count out how many incidents it would take.

Trying not to look like it bothered me, I waved it off. "I figured as much. We'll make it work somehow, but you're in, right?" _Maybe Embry would let me tranq Sara…_

"Yeah, count me in." Embry had perked up considerably at my failure to say anything about Sara. Like it or not, she was his imprint and still he agreed to put both of them at risk. Fate better be damn sure a vacation/business trip to L.A. for the others was as far as I could extend my generosity. Accounting for the group now going with me, I had to reinforce the issue at hand.

"This won't be some spring break vacation we're going on. I'm still not sure how much I should tell Bella. I might not even tell her you guys are there." Per Fate's survival guide, I was met with Opposition P, as in Paul.

"Enough with the secret service crap already. She's accepted us for the most part, just tell her that her safety is a little iffy right now and we need to watch her," Paul demanded. Gripping my hair in frustration, I wondered why I had thought Sam had a valid point earlier when he suggested my brother-in-law.

"What task do I need to do while you two mer-people are away anyways? And how come Claire's safety isn't an issue like Rach's? I don't think I'm gonna like this nor do I think that it's gonna be any fun." Looking up at Quil's worried face, I smirked, forgetting all about Lethal Weapon Paul.

"I haven't even told you what it is, Quil. How do you know it won't be loads of fun? You did so well with the bees. Hey, let's go phase real quick so I can see that one move you did again." My sudden, even temperedness scared Quil more than anything else and his worry turned to panic.

"Cause I know you, dude. You're just itching to deliver some payback, because I told the pack all about you and cupcake's tentacle touching. If we're going to have show and tell time, let's see that shit. Straight laced Jared over there was looking for a way to spice up his sex life. This could be it." Forgetting all about Quil's task, I angrily turned to Jared who held up his hands in surrender while shooting the death look at Quil.

"Leave me the fuck out of this, guys. I am more than content with my vanilla sex life. You freaks make my dick shrivel in fear over the shit you come up with. I spent an hour apologizing to Kim the last time Paul and I patrolled together. You just can't spend three hours listening to some perv graphically depict thorough uses of baby oil and leather and then go home and pretend to be normal. I bet Embry doesn't have that problem."

"Jared, man! That was one of my more brilliant little set-ups where Rach was concerned. Give credit where credit is due." For what seemed to be the nineteenth time today, I was headed to strangle a pack mate -Paul- when another opinion caught my attention.

"Oh, Embry has that problem all right. The only difference is, he's on the receiving end with his little dominatrix," Leah chimed in. The atmosphere was like being caught watching porn. Half of us were embarrassed for Embry and the memories we had seen of his imprint's unusual fetishes. The other half, Leah in particular, took great enjoyment in those private moments of Embry's life. I pitied the man Leah would eventually imprint on; she asked for tips from Sara a lot. Embry took it all in stride but my patience was gone.

"Enough! Jared likes vanilla, Paul likes oil and Quil likes sushi sex; I could care less. All of us have sex, yippee." What was meant to sound severe turned into bragging as several wolves began hollering in glee. I continued to talk over them. "Whatever we do at home or wherever," I growled, shooting a look at Quil, "does not need to be analyzed at every fucking pack meeting. The rest of you divide into pairs. You'll do six hour patrols with one always stationed within a tight perimeter of my house the other running normal rez paths. You'll switch with your partner after two hours. Ash and Justin will take the first six for now. After we leave – and no, I don't have a time frame yet- you guys can resume the normal patterns until we return. For now, everyone can go home except Paul, Quil and Embry." The pack dismembered quickly, and once I was left with the requested three, I continued.

"Embry, Paul, I would like for you two to go home, inform your mates and pack for the trip. We'll only take one vehicle to the airport. Do you mind driving, Paul?" I asked. He was the only pack member who had a large enough vehicle to fit us all comfortable. True to form, he made it abundantly clear that the size of his vehicle was not to compensate for anything. Fate reminded me that Paul had another trespassing warrant from the time he had actually displayed the physical evidence to prove said point. He nodded his consent and agreed to meet me in a few hours at my house, and Fate giggled about puns.

"Where are we staying?" Embry inquired, stopping Paul from running off.

"Tonight we'll stay at a place near the Seattle airport. In L.A. I'll rent us a multi-bedroom villa at Terranea. For this trip, this will be the only night we have separate rooms." At the looks of shock, I hastened to explain my reasoning. "Look, I just think it's safer if we all stay in one place rather than run the risk of having separate hotel rooms or worse, a one room suite with multiple beds next to each other. " All of us, Fate included, gave a brief shudder at the prospect of rolling over and seeing a horny pack mate next to an available imprint in the flesh.

"Fuck, dude. Rachel's gonna flip. That place is ocean front!" Even though Paul lacked logic, his comments still surprised me.

"Why the hell should that matter? We live beachside here."

"Yeah, but our beach is nothing like a California beach. I guarantee your sister has one whole suitcase of nothing but bikinis." Damn, my sister packed as conservatively as Imelda Marcos bought shoes.

"You tell my sister that we will be there less than a week, and she is only allowed one bag. And if she starts to bitch, tell her I'll make her share it with your shit as well." Paul just grinned, knowing that would never happen. He and Embry took off for home to start planning, leaving me alone with Quil.

"You mind filling me in on what the great honor, that's gonna make my imprint forget we're not going to L.A., is?" Quil had that anxious look again, and my spirits lifted.

"Remember, Quil. This is to honor your Alpha's imprint." I shouldn't be happy about this. I wasn't supposed to be happy about this. But if shit was going to hit the fan, the least I could get out of it was some karma payback. For once, it was nice not to be wearing the look of horror when discussing my imprint.

"Honey, I'm home," I called out forty five minutes later. Closing the door behind me, I rushed up to the main floor just as Bella came rushing down from the bedroom to greet me.

"Jake, what happened? I was so worried, one minute you're on the phone, the next you're out the door. Then I heard…" Pausing to take a deep breath, she continued, "then I heard some wolf howls." I felt bad at how nervous she looked and plotted the best way to make it up to her.

Wrapping her into a hug, I asked, "How would you like to take a mini vacation?" Bella stepped back away from me confused, not understanding the question.

"Jake, what are you talking about? I thought this was a vacation. You have a beautiful place here, why would you want to travel somewhere else?" Fuck! I couldn't lie, but maybe I could try the diversion thing again. I rushed on with the details, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"We can leave tomorrow, fly down to L.A., spend a few days bumming around and then we'll come back." Aside from the whole death threat thing, I was actually pretty excited to fly somewhere with Bella, especially if that somewhere had an unusually warm climate and required the use of scantily clad garments. Bella studied me as I bounced on my heels, both of us kind of jiggling with the movement. I was just waiting for her to agree like any normal female would.

"What about us moving in together? I thought we were going back to Seattle to pack up my belongings." She hadn't said no, and I felt my excitement grow.

"We will later, when we get back," _or never._ The reality was, Bella's possessions could easily be replaced. There was no need to for us to go back and get anything. If she really pushed the issue, I'd just send Collin or someone to get the things she really wanted from her old place. Girls liked to shop, right?

"Why can't we just do it now? Then in a few weeks, if you still want to, we can discuss a vacat…oh!" I was too busy mentally slapping Fate for make Bella so intuitive and questioning that I hadn't notice her brief subject change.

"Jacob, I thought we were both clear on this matter. You promised me we would take things slow and not rush in to anything." Placing her hand on my arm, I looked up from the ground, trying to figure out what I had missed in the last fifteen seconds.

"Honey, what are you talking about? I'm simply asking about a trip out of town." What the hell could I be rushing? We shared a bed, talked together, ate together, we even took showers together. We were a devoted couple, and I had no idea what was causing this upset.

"Jake, I'm just not ready yet." Grabbing my hand she stared intensely at me, "I don't want you to waste a whole bunch of money when I can't give you a promising yes." This whole conversation was like playing Scrabble with an English major. I was about to get my ass stomped.

"Yes to what, exactly?" I asked. Fate chose at that moment to give me its own slap right back -to the heart.

"You want to propose, don't you?" Bella wore an understanding smile and as my mind rolled over what she had just said, Fate talked for me.

"What? No, never!" Bella's horrified look had me backtracking. "Wait, that didn't come out right. I mean, yes eventually, but that's not what this is about. If I were to take you on a romantic getaway to propose it sure as hel-heavenly wouldn't include dragging my sister and brother-in-law with us." Letting go of my hand, she stepped back with a peculiar look. Damn it, I needed to stop hanging around Quil and his language skills. My imprint clearly didn't like that type of slip of the tongue.

"Rachel and Paul are going with us? Then what is this about? Jacob, there's something you're not telling me." _FUCK IT! Wrong again._ Shit, I was going to kill Quil. Somehow this had to be his fault. Studying Bella's face, I realized the only option left was to come clean. I couldn't look in her the eye as I tried to start from the beginning.

"This morning I got a call. One of my plans was accepted and is now up for review to work out the details. It's a really big contract and by accepting it, our future could be set for life." I paused, trying to figure out how to tactfully outline the cotton candy, dead flower smelling, killer monsters. Bella jumped to her own conclusions.

"Sooo, you want the five of us to go with you to celebrate? I'm really proud of you, honey, but again you don't need to take me with you." _Hmm, I never would have pegged her as mathematically stunted._

"Six of us and no, not to celebrate. See, I also got a package from Fed-Ex today. There wasn't any type of address or name on it to indicate who had sent it, but inside was an… ultimatum."

"For?" She asked impatiently. The sudden tapping of her foot did nothing to help move the conversation along.

"Honey, I really want to tell you, but I'm not sure if I can. You've already asked me not to tell you things that fall outside of your set imperatives and this could be just that."

"Jake," she sighed heavily before continuing, "just tell me. Quickly so I don't hyperventilate here." I tried to ignore Fate as they pulled out a brown paper bag from a very inappropriate location. _Was that even possible?_

"The letter was from an unknown vampire. They want to take you." Taking a few steps away from her, I tried to control my shaking. Fate huffed in its bag adding aerosol lighter fluid for effect. Maybe it was for affects.

"What…what are you talking about? Why would they want me? I don't even know any vampires. I didn't even know they existed until you told me. Can't you call the police or something? This is like kidnapping or ransoming." She started to shake in fear, and I reached out and brought her in for a hug. Both of us were now shaking, and Fate ditched the bag for the Tilt-A-Whirl ride.

"Bella, when dealing with vampires, we are the police. Honey, I need you to be with me at all times or at least fairly close. That's why Embry and Paul will be going with us, along with their imprints. The six of us will go to Los Angeles together so I can attend the conference for the normal side of my life. Once it's over, we'll head back here to where there are even more wolves to protect you." Snuggling into me, I could barely hear her as she talked into my chest.

"Why me, though? Why am I more important than say your sister? Why wouldn't they want to target her over someone who's just your girlfriend?" Okay, maybe I owed Fate an apology. While still upset, at least she hadn't started screaming or tried to run away from me.

"Sweetie, I think you're forgetting a few key points from the bonfire. You are my imprint; there is no other bond stronger than that. While Rachel is my sister, they would only take her if they wanted to make Paul suffer. Not to say I wouldn't be just as upset, but the harming of an imprint is something that a wolf can never recover from." Something else occurred to her, and she pulled back away as far as my arms would let her.

"But then that would mean they are after you, not me! Did you…have you done something to make them angry?" _Forget the apology, Fate…_

"Just me being a wolf, makes them angry, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the two we destroyed Friday night." I couldn't keep the smugness out of my voice. I had protected not only my people, but more, importantly my mate. This is what I was destined for, and I was proud of it.

Bella held up her hand. "I…I get it. I just need to…when do we need to leave?" Bella's sudden shift in topic scared me. I had serious doubts as to whether she truly understood what I had told her. Steering her into the living room for her to sit down, she continued to talk. "I really didn't pack for this type of adventure, and Van's going to need his travel stroller." Any normal man would have headed for the hills with that statement. If Bella could accept werewolves, I was sort of willing to accept fairy stroller Vatan. Someone else, though, could deal with the abracadabra shit for now.

"Well, yeah. See about Van, I was thinking of something a little less stressful for him." Bella looked up at me. "I think it would work out better if Van stayed here." Giving her my best hopeful smile, I waited for her to see the logic in leaving him. It was well-planned, brilliant and―

"You want me to leave him here, alone?" Her voice grew in panic, and Fate sat back to enjoy. "Jacob, you're telling me that vampires are on the rampage to hurt you, us, and you think the best idea is to leave Van here alone? In a house with no one to take care of him?" Shit, I didn't know her voice could reach such a screeching tone.

"No, honey, of course not. I know how much he means to you, and I would never suggest leaving him unattended. I've chosen one of the most skilled wolves to foster him in our absence. Quil," I called out listening to him slink into the house. I wanted to laugh. As soon as the downstairs door closed, I could hear Quil sprinting up the stairs as fast as possible. Vatan was right on his ass. Quil made a beeline for the seat next to Bella, and as Vatan tried to launch himself, Bella caught his furry ass. She tried to cuddle him against her chest as the Evil One struggled like a hairy phlegm ball to touch Quil.

"Quil has graciously offered to take care of him while we are away. He can take Van's stuff over to his house and stay there while we are gone." Both Quil and Bella gave me the same look: repulsiveness. Vatan started meowing and purring like a blues singer while trying to stretch out and fondle Quil.

"He doesn't like Van. In fact, I've heard him threaten Van more than once, and Quil would be the last person I would say is qualified to take care of such a regal creature." Quil opened his mouth to agree with Bella, and I bounded over to stand in front of her.

"Now, honey, don't be like that. Quil has seen the error of his ways and has promised to take care of him like he was his own." I could feel Quil's eyes screaming a glare of protest as I cajoled my imprint. "Plus, Claire will be there. You know she really likes Van, and she won't let Quil do anything to harm Van in any way. You can even call her if you want to." Fate snickered silently with me as Quil slumped in his seat. I had thrown the imprint card, and he was doomed. While waiting for Bella to ask for the phone, she instead threw me another curve ball.

"Why can't he just go with us? I'll pay for his airfare."

"Bella, you said yourself that Van hates to travel and look at him. He absolutely adores Quil." Picking up Vatan out of Bella's hands, I didn't miss Quil. Slowly he was inching away and I couldn't wait for the final perfect piece of my plan. As I stepped in front of him, Quil sat up, ram-rod straight. With the gracefulness of Tanya Harding and a crowbar, I dropped the demon directly into Quil's lap. Without missing a beat, Vatan released a lusty meow and started a different purring serenade. Quil tried desperately not to even breathe and as Vatan crawled up his chest, my smile grew. Even my imprint wouldn't be able to deny that these two had a connection.

Three hours later and we were on our way, Vatan free. Bella had finally agreed to let Quil watch Vatan after she talked to Claire. I'll admit, I gloated a little when Bella handed the phone to Quil. Claire was more than excited to cat-sit, and she wanted Quil to be just as excited. Once Bella had informed Claire that she would leave her some money to purchase a new stroller for Raggedy Vatan so that Claire and Quil could take him for walks, there was no backing out. I decided to wait until Bella and I were in L.A. before calling Claire and informing her of how much Vatan enjoyed a good old fashioned bedtime story from a werewolf. Coming home had never sounded so appealing, especially when I could phase and watch Quil's memories as he read a Dr. Seuss book to the furry terror_. Van I am, do you like green eggs and ham? _Knowing Bella's cooking skills the fur fuck probably did.

Since we would be flying out of Seattle, Bella had asked if we could stop at her apartment to get some different clothes. With both Paul and Embry with us, I felt confident that it could be accomplished without any dire affects. The same could not be said for the conversation on the way there. Fate was channeling Howard Stern.


	24. RockABye Fatey

D

"Aren't you afraid that something will happen?" Bella asked Rachel over the seat. I had tried to get the two of them to sit next to each other in hopes of some female bonding time. I think Paul forgot to tell her that part of the plan since when they pulled up, Sara was sitting next to Rachel, with Paul and Embry taking up the front. Not wanting to make it a big deal, I had simply sat in the back with my imprint.

"No, why would I?" Not even lifting her head, Rachel continued to giggle and point at whatever was in the magazine Sara had brought with. Fate's eyes widened in excitement and I knew right then, just what kind of magazine they had.

"You're not scared of vampires?" Bella questioned. Shock and a little bit of pride coursed through me. She had failed to openly discuss anything wolf or vamp related unless cornered to do so. I wanted to give my imprint comfort on this topic, but she needed to hear it from another imprint; that this was just one of the lifestyle changes she would have to live with.

"Well, I sure as hell wouldn't want one as a friend, but no, I'm not afraid. I have one of the biggest, baddest wolves around to keep me safe." Bella didn't know that Rachel's exclamation about size was not in reference to the body of a wolf. Everyone else did including…

"Damn straight, baby. That's my girl," Paul hooted out. Embry leaned over and grabbed the wheel as Paul turned around for a brief make-out session with Rachel. My rumble of warning alerted him to stop and caused Sara to glance at me before talking to Bella.

"You have one too, Bella. Why are you so freaked out?" With a pinch most would have found painful, Embry just cooed as his imprint latched onto his shoulder.

"How can I not be? In less than a week my life has turned from reality to fantasy and some renegade dead people I've never met intend to harm me." Imprint protocol . Fate- tugged at me to explain about her family. Squirming in my seat, I held off.

"You worry too much. Focus more on the fantasy side, that's the best part," Rachel instructed, her hand moving slowly up Paul's leg.

"Mmm, is that what's up for tonight, fantasy? Because Quil mentioned-" The sleaze rolling from Paul caused the car occupants to twitter in amusement. Except for Bella. Her cheeks flamed and while I would love to discuss fantasies with her, now was definitely not the time. Fate stuck out its tongue while continuing to rummage through costumes.

"Shut up, Paul!" I huffed out in anger. Well, it should have been anger but actually bordered on longing as Fate lovingly assaulted a pair of thigh high, lace up boots. Nothing else!

"Relax, Big A! You know exactly what I'm talking about, you were there. Did you even ask Bella? She might be interested in a trip to see Shamu."

Leaning forward in my seat, I whispered too low for human ears, "Don't make me pull over this goddamn vehicle!" Paul just snickered, assuming I wouldn't jump two rows of seats and throw him out of the way. "You know what the hell I mean, Paul. Stop talking about sex and drive the fucking truck in silence. If you haven't noticed, Bella is freely talking and I'd like to not discourage her." Still wearing a smirk, Paul looked at me through the rear-view mirror. He finally gave me a brief nod of consent before turning on the stereo. Bella, the only tactful one in the car, waited until her blush subsided before attempting to converse again.

"So, uhh, you guys must be really close and stuff, huh?" Bella mumbled, at a loss for what might be a safe topic. _I'm so sorry, honey, they don't exist._

"Yeah, all of us grew up together," Embry supplied helpfully while Paul added, "like the Partridge Pack."

"Whoa, there, Pumpkin! I didn't grow up with you twits," Sara called out to Paul. Rachel and Sara had formed an instant friendship when she moved to the rez. Sara's roots were from the far south, the closest blood associate being Mayan. The name Pumpkin was her annoyance tool for Paul after a particular Halloween debacle that involved Quil's brilliant contest idea of 'Most obscene Jack-o-lantern'. Even today, it was almost hard to believe Paul had out-fouled Quil in a contest involving fruit.

"Whatever, Sara. You could be Rach's identity twin, so I don't want to hear that 'I didn't grow up here' shit from you." The bickering continued and any more discussions of wolves and leeches were forgotten. Bella leaned against me and eventually fell asleep while the others continued to rag on each other.

Once we left the ferry, I directed Paul to Bella's apartment. As the others in the car discussed what a dive the neighborhood was as we pulled up to her apartment, I was immensely happy that she was still dozing on my shoulder. Briefly, I instructed Embry to stay in the truck with Sara and Rach while Paul and I accompanied Bella upstairs. It wasn't that Embry couldn't fight, but Paul was just more aggressive.

Fate held open the door as we entered the apartment, and what should have been a simple five minute task turned into another nightmare. I followed Bella into the bedroom as an extra precaution, then left to let her pack and corral Paul in the living room.

"Fuck, is this where she keeps it?" Leaning over the tank, Paul had his hands and face smashed against the glass, searching for the illustrious sea monster. This needed to stop.

"Shut up, Paul. I tried to tell Quil, Bella doesn't own an octopus, but he wouldn't believe me." Fate continued to blow up their arm floaties.

"Oh, come on! She's got to have a least a little one in here? Maybe a squid?" He started to rub the glass like a fucking genie bottle. Fate just winked, folding arms and nodding its head.

"No, you fucking moron. Look at the damn tank. There is no way you could keep an aggressive creature like a cephalopod in a tank with seahorses and fish. Like werewolves, they have outrageous appetites and could care less about devouring their tank mates."

"Right. And you know that shit how? Come on, J, she must have told you all about their dietary habits. How else would you know that shit?" Turning away from the tank, Paul faced me while continuing to throw glances over his shoulder like waiting for something to tap him on the back.

"I did graduate college, ass wipe. Not everyone solely reads porn in their spare time."

"Whatever. I'm not stupid enough to believe that in your classes of 'how to hot wire a shuttle'" _electrical engineering_, "and 'the most effective way to blow your ass up'" _thermodynamics_, "that they ever talked about what to feed a sea snake." Paul was half cocky, half accusatory, waiting for me to admit he was correct. My mind reeled at his disregard for my hard work, and I latched on to the only word that stood out.

"Sea snake?" I asked, trying to figure out if he was referencing another upper level course.

"Yeah, kinda like a trouser snake but you know with the-" Jumping back in, I cut him off before Fate could finish taking notes.

"Paul, just shut up. That tank does not have any sex toys in it. Neither I, nor Bella, have ever engaged in sexual trysts with other creatures."

"You're shitting me, right? There's no way Quil would have gone to all of that trouble if he really didn't believe there was something to it. She has it in a separate tank, right? In the bedroom, right?" My rage surfaced as my mind screamed,_ 'No! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!'_

I smacked him hard across the back of the head. "No, dipshit, the only other living thing in this apartment is Vatan's botanical garden." To illustrate my point, the sudden clicking and humming of Vatan's timed lights switched on and off.

Absentmindedly rubbing his head, Paul latched to the new subject. "She really built little crinky pants an Eden?"

"I don't know. Some of the furniture and plants in there must weigh more than one hundred pounds. I can't see Bella lifting that amount of weight by herself." Damn it, I didn't want to think about the crafty crotch licker and his possible magical abilities. Of course, I didn't want to think about Fate in a Speedo either; I had no free will anymore.

"Well, maybe the little warlock waved his tail and the shit moved on its own. Does it really matter? I want to go and see it." Shooting across the room at his natural speed, Paul was just entering the hallway to the bedrooms, when I caught him. Both of us stopped short, Bella walking towards us, not having registered we were right in front of her yet.

Paul cleared his throat before she could take another step in our direction. "Hey, Bella. Jake was just about to show me crink…Vat…err… the fuzzy one's room, so I had an idea of how much stuff we would be moving." Bella's eyes narrowed, kind of like mine were at Paul for ratting me out with Vatan's nicknames. When she turned to me, Paul relaxed, knowing his ass wasn't presently on the burner.

"Moving? Jake, I thought you said we weren't going to worry about that right now." Her question confirmed the fact that Fate was all for nailing me somewhere, usually in the groin.

"We aren't, honey. I think Paul is just anticipating in case we move your stuff and you and I aren't able to be here for it." Not having a clue as to what the hell drove Paul's thought process, I could easily answer.

"Because of the vampires?" She asked, her face falling into a state of blankness. Now that we were in Seattle, Bella appeared to be more cautious as to what could happen. I didn't want to dwell on any gothic mosquito activity, so I tried to rush through it.

"Something like that. Are you all packed and ready to go?" Having been saved from an imprint meltdown, I was all too eager to leave and move to a safe location, sans gardens or aquariums.

Double checking her bags, she gave a hesitant smile "Yeah, I think I have everything. If not, I'll just have to go without." _Now there was an idea._ We could both go without any clothes and just stay confined and naked in the bedroom suite. Anxiously I looked around for Fate, waiting for them to veto the idea but they were too busy licking the inside of the tank.

Leaving the building, Bella kept looking around, expecting to see a monster jump out of nowhere. At some point I would have to explain that there was no way for a human to see a vamp unless they wanted to be seen. If the blood suckers were going to abduct her, chances were pretty high they would just grab and run and not use the 'Hey, little girl, want some candy?' routine. Of course it they knew Bella at all, a simple promise of chicken flavored ice cream could possibly do the trick.

Sitting down to dinner, before checking into the Hyatt, I realized I probably shouldn't have thought about Bella's peculiar appetite. Nobody said a word when the server brought out her French onion soup, and she liberally added mustard and ketchup before consuming it. Not even Paul's request of steak Tartare could compete with her gross factor.

An hour later, the six of us occupied the lobby of our hotel for the night. I chose three rooms on the ninth floor. It's not like a vamp couldn't have scaled the outside wall, regardless of the height, but for whatever reason, the idea of being located higher above ground helped ease the tension.

To say everyone was unusually quiet would have been an understatement. Since leaving Bella's apartment, no one had uttered more than sentence or two. In the elevator, I couldn't help but notice that my imprint looked tired, stressed and ready to crash. The remaining yahoos carried silent smirks that indicated hotel management would be knocking on their doors, asking to tone down the ruckus here shortly.

With our rooms being in a row, each pair headed inside. I handed Bella the key card so I could keep her directly in front of me and follow behind as she opened our door. The room was fairly large, and I dropped our bags on the end of the bed. Bella still hadn't said anything, strolling to the windows to peer out at the city skyline. We both needed to unwind and relax. Walking into the spacious bathroom, I turned the water on for a bath before walking back to the bed and sitting down next to Bella. She was just sitting there, staring at the ground, with a look of nothingness. Reaching behind her, I gently kneaded her shoulders, feeling the knots in her muscles.

"Come on, honey. Let's go soak in the tub and then we can go to sleep, so we're well rested for our flight tomorrow." Leading her back into the bathroom, I shrugged out of my shirt waiting for her to follow suit. I think she was in a state of shock or something because she was just staring blankly again, this time at the water. Throwing the rest of my clothes into a pile, I walked up behind her, grabbing the hem of her shirt to pull upwards.

"You don't have to undress me, Jake. I can do it. Are we taking a bath together?" Bella held her hands on the bottom of her top as she turned to face me, completely oblivious to my nudity. Her eyes hadn't changed, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"That was the idea, but I can wait outside if you'd rather be alone," I replied cautiously, making no move to dress or leave just yet. Slowly she shook her head in the negative and began to undress. I climbed into the huge tub and once she was bare, I picked her up to sit in front of me as we both sank into the water. If she didn't want to talk, then neither did I. As I languidly washed her back, she surprised me.

"Are you like them?" She whispered, her knees pulled up and chin resting on them.

"Like who?" I questioned, stopping the movements of the cloth.

"Like your friends, Paul and Embry?"

"We're alike in that we all want what is best for our imprints." Vague and to the point, a lot like her question. Fate shook its head and added more bait to the dialogue.

"No, I mean, are you…do you prefer kinkiness in the physical side of a relationship?" I so did not see that one coming and struggled to figure out how to answer her. Fate yelled out in glee, 'Fish on!'.

"Honey, whatever higher power deemed us to be together, did so because we were meant to fill in each other's missing pieces. Everything we do as a couple will just feel right, no matter what. Are you scared that I'm somehow not happy with that side of us?" Setting the cloth aside, I waited while she thought about how to answer. My heart was trying to beat out of my chest. Either that or Fate had thrown the hairdryer into the tub with us.

"Well, I wasn't scared, but all of your friends talk about sex, a lot. Except you, and it just made me wonder if maybe you felt cheated or were missing out on something." Bella had answered direct and to the point, but I felt like I needed to reassure her.

My hands snaked around to rub her breasts teasingly as I lowered my head to brush my lips against her shoulder. "Honey, there is nothing about you that I would change." She shuddered and relaxed into me as I continued to assault her neck with hot opened mouth kisses. Moaning, she rubbed her ass against my now apparent erection before turning around to straddle my waist. Water splashed against the tub as she ground the hottest part of her against me, in search of friction.

My mouth was too busy licking her breast to answer as she tightened her arms around me and pulled me closer. Dipping her forward to remove the soap from her back, I sat back up, my lips never leaving their location. She pulled at my head anxiously, and as my lips left her breast with a soft pop, she attacked my mouth with a renewed fervor, hips thrusting against each other in search of need and release. My head fell back to hit the tile behind, and Bella gasped as I aligned her body to take me in.

"Jake, we have to stop and move out to the bedroom. We don't have any condoms in here with us." Just the tip of me was at her entrance; I couldn't help but push in a few inches, fighting not to just slam her body down and fully into place.

"I'll pull out, I swear," I groaned out as she rose up and then back down, still barely encasing me.

"Jake, please," she panted, still pumping against just the first couple inches of my cock. What the hell was wrong with me? I sounded like some irresponsible fifteen year old. Bella was right; we couldn't just engage because fate was using my dick as a bullhorn to sputter nonsense.

Deciding that four hundred dollars a night for a room should include dry linen if need be, I didn't even bother with towels as I picked her up and vaulted to the bed, lying her on top of the duvet. Fumbling for a condom, I finally felt the life-saving package and pulled it out of my bag. It may have been crude, but sex was a life affirming action. Making sweet, passionate love to Bella would cure us both of our worries and stress for the night.

My cell started to ring, drawing away Bella's gaze from my crotch to the nightstand table for a moment. I didn't care if the president himself was calling; there wasn't one goddamn thing important enough to stop my present task.

"Jake, aren't you going to answer it?" Her cheeks weren't as flushed as they had been a moment ago, but I was willing to fix that.

Pulling her legs apart further, I sank into her tight, heavenly sheath, my eyes almost rolling into the back of my head at the pleasure. "No, baby, that's what voicemail is for," I rasped, as my hips jerked to find a rhythm.

"What if its vampire related?" She exhaled in response. Her body was as needy as my own and I almost didn't acknowledge her question between the gasps of desire. I wish I hadn't. Once the v word formulated in my conscious, it was an instant deflate; all of the blood returning to my head just as quickly as it had made its way to my dick. She was right, though. Neither of us would enjoy sex if Bella was thinking about something else.

I wasn't angry at Bella, but the caller was another story. Grabbing the cell, I walked over to a trash can to dispose of the wasted condom. "What?" I demanded into the receiver.

"Jake, dude!" The panic radiating from the caller.

"Quil," I gritted out, "Your ass had better be dead, dying or bleeding to be fucking calling, now!"

"Holy shit, why the fuck didn't you warn me?" Quil's accusation sounded similar to the time he felt I'd failed to warn him about trying to mate with a natural wolf. Shit like that was just a given. My headache formed instantly.

"I swear to god, Quil, if you are calling me because your fucking stuck in your fly paper or some shit-" His voice overrode mine, and I stopped talking to listen to his drabble at the mention of Bella.

"Hell, why didn't cupcake say anything? He's dying, dude! What am I supposed to do?" Bella had sat up with a questioning look as to what may be wrong. With a brief smile, I went into the bathroom to have it out with my number one retard.

"Who's dying? What are you talking about?" Sitting on the side of the tub, I pulled the drain plug in hopes of gurgling water being able to mask out any sounds Bella might hear. My heart was beating a mile a minute again as I tried to rationalize what he was saying. If a pack mate was dying it could only be caused by one thing: A leech attack.

"The fur fuck!" Quil was babbling border line crying, but his description only fit one creature.

"Quil, slow down. What happened?" This had to be a delusional episode of Fate, making an Alpha paranoid over destroying his imprint's heart with the news of a dead cat. Hell, maybe I was stuck in a soap-opera nightmare. Shit like this just didn't occur in a werewolf's life.

"I'll tell you what happened, cupcake is what happened. That and your evil desire for payback. Fuck, I'm a dead wolf." Quil paused and it sounded like he was drinking. Before I could start shouting again, he continued, "Fur fuck's gonna die then Cupcake is gonna be pissed, mopey and moody and then my illustrious Alpha is gonna be rage induced and beat my ass until I'm dead. Thanks, Jake, for allowing me to be a part of destroying two and a half innocent lives." The drinking noises continued, and I clutched my head in agony over his whininess.

"Jesus, Quil, tone down the drama shit. Where is the cat and why is he dying?" _He wasn't dead yet, maybe there was still hope._

"Cupcake insisted on all of those crappy gadgets for the monster; said he needed them to survive. Ha! If that's surviving, I'm surprised he didn't bite the bullet a long time ago." He stopped again, too long for my patience and my anger exploded.

"Get to the fucking point! So help me, I am two seconds away from hanging up on you and sending Sam over there to explain what's going on," I yelled too loudly. The distinctive thumps coming from other rooms let me know that Paul and Embry were about to join this wake.

"Dude, he's been following me around like some hairy canker sore, even going so far as to sit in my lap while I was trying to eat lunch; that's just gross, dude." I released a strangled cry of impatience and Quil rushed on. "Anyway, I got sick of it and when he went to take a dump, I think I scared him. I don't know how those cat boxes work, but apparently the fucking thing is electric and cleans itself after not detecting any movement. Dude, that fungus fruitcake wasn't moving and when the damn thing started to clean itself, his fucking tail got caught in the machine's teeth. He was screaming like a fucking demon; I finally had to put him out of his misery, which is when I decided I better call you."

Would a jury buy that sudden nonchalance was my breaking point? Quil was right about two things: I was rage induced and his ass would be dead. I'd even let Bella perform all of her experiments on his dying body before delivering the death blow.

"You put him out of his misery, how? Tell me you didn't fucking kill him to get him to shut up?" _Was that my voice?_ It was hollow, mean and sounded like it came from another dimension.

"Christ, what the fuck do you take me for, the Grim Reaper?" Quil snorted at his own joke and I had to use my free hand to grab my leg and squeeze so I didn't shatter anything. "No, I fucking got him drunk until he fell asleep. I thought for sure he'd balk at straight vodka or some shit. Good thing Claire is a girl; I put some wussie-ass Kahlua in a bowl of milk, and he lapped that shit up between howls. Knocked him right the fuck out."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Quil! You haven't had his ass for six damn hours, and he already needs traction and reconstructive surgery?" I was talking shrilly and had to breath, dropping back vocally into a predatory cadence. "You listen and you fucking listen good. Pack your shit, pack Vatan's shit and drive your sorry ass and the demon's here to Seattle so I can inform my imprint what a grade A massive fuck up we both were. I hope to hell Bella can save him because if his ass dies, it won't be the only one." I have no idea how much Quil picked up on the last half of my sentence, it rolled out in a growl. I could still hear him breathing, and it took a few minutes before he responded. I could hear one of my brothers pounding on the door, and I yelled out to Bella to go ahead and let them in.

"So, uhh, should I tell Claire she gets to go to L.A. with the rest of us?" Quil asked, sounding slightly uplifted.

"NO! In fact your ass isn't going either." If he planned this set-up to get a free trip to L.A., he would be severely disappointed. Bella was going to be pissed enough; I sure as hell wasn't about to add Quil-fuel to her fire. I was more fond of my dick than that.

Quil had fallen into the listen-to-me-carefully tone. "She's not going to want to stay here, alone without me to protect her. Dude, did you forget about the rogues that are supposed to be making an appearance?"

I couldn't figure out why Quil wasn't scared. Hell, at that moment, my voice was scaring me as I snarled and spit into the receiver. "There are fifteen other fucking wolves in the near vicinity. Her ass will be perfectly fine without you there to fuck shit up for a few hours."

"Claire has to drive with me to Seattle. I'm gonna need someone to help look after the demon while I'm driving. Then when we get to Seattle, she's going to feel bad because Cupcake is going to be all stressed out. Add in the fact that Rachel and Sara will be so giddy about getting to go and Claire is going to feel even worse. Hell, dude, she might even start to cry, and you know how well the girls will take to that." I had no more patience for this; my presence was required to attend the salivating wolves in the other room.

"Quil, I'm hanging up now. You have five hours to get here." Click.

I would deal with the need for Quil and Claire to tag-along later. Grabbing my earlier discarded jeans to throw on, I walked out to once again deliver bad news to my imprint.

Bella was sitting on the bed in a silk robe, her hair still wet and dripping down her back. Embry was perched next to the door and Paul was pacing, while swinging his car keys around one finger.

"Someone was hurt, weren't they?" Bella asked. Both of my brothers watched me intently as I crossed the room to kneel in front of her. Cupping her cheeks, the last thing I wanted to do was deliver the news. Even Fate was wiping away tears.

My compassion returned as I whispered to her. "Honey, it was an accident. Quil is packing to join us and will be here in a few hours."

"Jake, if some vamp fucked up a brother, why the hell would you make Quil drag him here? Come on, Big A, let's leave so we can stomp their asses into the ground." Granted, this was a new situation for all of us but could my brothers really think I'd drag an injured wolf into the city? Refusing to acknowledge Paul, I studied Bella as the pieces clicked together for her.

"Oh my god! It's Van, isn't it?" Bella's eyes began to look like Fate's and her misery was almost tangible. Paul's cry of outrage caused us both to flinch.

"A dozen fucking wolves and the leech shitters went after a Chewy?" Paul sank down on a chair, every sign of tension leaving him. _Lucky Bastard._

I gave Bella what comfort I could. "Quil told me Van's tail was hurt. He's going to bring him here. He mentioned something about a litter box accident."

"Jake, I told you it was a bad idea to let Quil watch him. You promised me everything would be okay." How the hell was I supposed to make up for this. Fate brandished the knife for me to cut out my heart and give it to Bella as an apology.

Crawling up next to her on the bed, I picked Bella up and held her while she silently cried. Waving away my brothers, they returned to their own rooms. Fate continued to rant at me for allowing their minion to be harmed and all I could think about was 1) there was no way we could go to L.A. without Vatan now and 2) if Bella would start screaming at me or simply leave when Quil showed up with an inebriated ChewCup.

I don't think either of us slept, but we weren't really awake either. After a half hour or so of holding Bella, she had finally crawled off me to lie down on the bed. Cautiously, I cut the lights and stripped to join her. When I tried to pull her over to drape across my torso, she pulled back and stayed where she was. It hurt, and Fate reminded me that I deserved it as they went to lie on the other side of her and share sympathy. Like a twelve year old, I inched my hand to hers before clasping it. She allowed me the comfort, and I would slightly tighten my grip with every new sniffle. Fate sat off to the side, meticulously loading a gun to use on Quil when his sorry ass finally showed up.


	25. Frequent Fate Fliers

An LSD trippin' walrus in a Swarovski crystal shop would have made less of a ruckus than Quil. He hadn't even made it up to our floor and I could still hear him. The moment the elevator slid open, the entire hotel probably woke up. Bella felt me tense and she sat up, hurrying to find some clothes to throw on. I did too but at a more leisurely pace, in no rush to face him. When I finally opened the door, I was greeted by Quil, Paul and a disgruntled, yet conscious Vatan.

"Where's Claire?" I inquired, standing aside to let them in. Quil just huffed in response as he lugged the pet carrier over to the bed while Paul answered.

"She's in my room with Rachel." Wiggling his eyebrows at me, he smirked. "I figure Quil will be made into a eunuch, so it'll be left up to me to take care of her. They're getting ready."

"You wish, dude. Even if I died today, Claire would never want anyone else, especially your sorry ass. Me and my gift," Quil replied, pointing to his crotch, "have ruined her for anyone else. Sucks to be you." Fate stood behind Paul and stuck its tongue out at Quil.

Paul decided to elaborate on just how much sucking he actually did and why it was 'fucking the best out there' according to Rachel. I really wanted to punch Paul, but for once, I was glad Quil was here. He jumped into the conversation full force and while listening to any type of sex Quil had was disturbing, it certainly didn't compare to having to listen about my sister with Paul being the narrarater.

Bella was already in vet mode, not paying attention to the guys while she examined her squirming patient. I had no idea what the hell she was looking for or if she could even see a damn thing through all of Vatan's fur. He did however whimper whenever she tossed certain areas, so my guess was it wasn't good.

Vacillating between wanting to help Bella versus referring the smack down about to take place, her very loud and sudden gasp took me by surprise. It didn't sound good and I was worried she had overheard about a past trip to Victoria's Secret the moron twins were debating. Even Fate had to concede; Paul looked nothing like Tyra Banks when he was wearing a thong, pink ruffles and all.

"Quil, when was the last time Van had anything to drink?" Bella asked. _Damn, poor choice of words._ Luckily she continued before Quil had a chance to admit he had turned her furby into a raging alcoholic. "Has he been vomiting or overeating?" Looking directly at Quil, she waited for his answer.

"I, uhh, well, I'm pretty sure he didn't overeat anything. I mean I measured out what you said and I would have heard him if he yakked at the house. What's so important about the drink thing?" Quil asked nervously.

This was it. This was the moment Quil would have to admit to doing shots with Vatan. Paul had picked up that we were leaving something out and he began subtly sniffing the air for clues. While watching Quil as he did so, Paul took one step closer Vary Busey. The panic increased in Quil and he tried to nonchalantly shake his head 'no', towards Paul.

"Jacob, I think I'm going to have to stay here in Seattle. Van's breathe smells ketonic and I'll need to get him blood work to find out why." Turning to glance at Paul and Quil as well, she frowned at the looks of perplexity.

"In English?" Quil asked. Apparently he had forgotten all of his biological knowledge in favor of memorizing sex-toys and how to torture Alpha's imprints.

"His breath, it smells fruity, ketonic like. I think Van might have diabetes, but I don't see how I could have missed it. I hadn't realized anything was wrong and never even noticed he was drinking so much water. Gosh, he must have found another source somewhere at your house, Jake. His breathe is powerful, indicating this just didn't suddenly happen overnight." Walking back over to the bed, she continued to examine the closet lush.

I no longer had a choice. I couldn't allow Bella to panic over a non-existent condition in Vatan and apparently it was up to me to confess Quil's sins. "Bella, look-"

"Cupcake, you got it all wrong!" Quil shouted out, deciding to come clean. Before I could tackle him to the ground so that we might have a brief discussion about Quil's use of certain words, the Vodkanator was out of the bag.

"Fur ball isn't sick; at least not like you're thinking. I had to get him drunk to shut his ass up. He's got one hell of a set of vocal chords inside of him. You sure he's only a cat?" Quil asked.

Both Paul and I groaned audibly. Leave it to Quil to act like giving alcohol to Bella's most prized possession was a secondary issue compared to Vatan's vocal techniques.

"You gave Van alcohol?" Bella asked, somewhere between incredulity and shock. Walking back towards Quil, she waited for his denial. Fate stood off to the side, jabbing the air in hopes of Bella taking a swing.

"Yeah. It's not like underage drinking laws apply to animals or anything," Quil answered. He was staring at Bella like she was the strange one for questioning his motives.

"What is wrong with you? How could you even think that was a good idea? What if I'd had to perform surgery?"

_I'd like to perform surgery, starting with the neutering of a certain wolf…_

"I wouldn't have been able to with any type of blood alcohol in his system!" Bella stated in that cold, scary voice women get when a man is about to be reminded just how little his I.Q. really is. Quil, being on the wrong side of the bell-curve, didn't see it.

"Look, I don't know why you're so upset. It helped him relax and now he's fine. Besides, after smelling that shit you call cat-food, Kahlua is not the worst thing that cat has ever consumed. That heifer takes one hell of a dump." Quil's answer had a different effect for everyone. Bella could only stare in disbelief at Quil, who failed to notice that was probably the worst thing he could have said. Paul had backed up against the wall for support, soundlessly laughing, tears streaming down his face. Once again, I had to intervene.

"Both of you get out and torment someone else," I ordered, pointing to the door. Bella really looked like she was contemplating on hitting Quil and the last thing we needed was for her to break her hand. Quil scowled before turning to leave, grabbing Paul as he walked past.

Deciding now was not the time to directly fuck with me, Paul chose instead to ridicule me through Quil. "This is your fault, Quil. Jake was 'feeding the kitty' until you called about maiming the four-legged one. Big A probably has balls bluer than your face is gonna be once he chokes the life out of you. I can't believe you didn't even try to be tactful."

If I hadn't already been so pissed at Quil, I would have gone after Paul. They were like the paparazzi; taking notes on when and where Bella and I engaged in a couple's only activity.

Quil was getting ready to defend his actions when I came up behind them and shoved Quil through the now open entrance. Slamming the door closed, I almost caught Quil in it.

_Damn fast reflexes. _

With the clowns safely away, I straightened my posture before attempting to assist Bella. She didn't need help, but was more than ready to set some ground rules concerning Vatan and my misery.

"I can't believe he did that, Jake," Bella mumbled. "This leaves me with no choice. Van has to go with us. His tail should be okay but I need to observe him and make sure infection doesn't sit in. Otherwise, I need to stay here, Jacob."

She had assembled some type of brace or something to the monster's tail and he was not happy. I wasn't either but it looked funny as shit. I needed to make sure she knew I was receptive to all of her wants.

"Of course, Van can go with us, honey. Whatever you need," I murmured, walking up to her.

After learning everything Quil had just done, I was still waiting for Bella to turn on me. I couldn't believe how calm she was. Sad and maybe slightly depressed but being so fucking calm, reminded me once again that she was, in fact, perfect for me. Wrapping my arms around her, I hugged her close to me in hopes of communicating my love for her and sharing the sorrow she must be feeling.

Still facing away from me, but with her back firmly against my chest, she gripped my arms to return the gesture of solace before whispering her next request.

"I'll need to go back to my apartment and get his travelling case."

I tried not to tense, envisioning her alone at her apartment to gather more equipment

"Would it be okay if I sent one of the guys to retrieve it? That way you can stay here with Mr. Fuzzy." _And I can get pictures of this._ It was a million dollar shot of the cretin and I was going to use it as a screen saver. Maybe I could get Quil to phase and watch the replay then use Photoshop to create a movie clip.

Did I feel guilty for thinking such awful thoughts right now? Maybe. However, I needed my own comfort in this situation and Bella didn't need to know about it.

"That would be fine, thank you. It should be easy to find; it's the only case in van's closet. I also need a few of those blankets on the second shelf for Van. They're the thicker, plush ones; it can get cold on the plane."

"Umm, yeah, sure. I'll just go and tell Embry to take care of it. I'll be right back."

After a very brief conversation, Embry went to retrieve the things Bella felt she needed. I had no idea why she couldn't use the carrier she had, but I wasn't about to ask. Her request was the least I could do and didn't deserve questioning. Fate kept its back towards me. I should have recognized the signs.

Four hours later and the nine of us were standing in line to check-in for the flight. Bella, always a stunning creature to look at, took me by complete surprise with Van's travel case. It was demeaning enough to my ego to walk through the airport entrance with a cat. The fact that the cat was in a fluorescent lime green stroller was more than any man should have to be a part of. Before we could even approach the counter, an older couple walked up. Bella was smiling and when I looked down at her, I couldn't help but smile while vainly attempting not to frown as I caught sight in my peripheral vision of the furtard huffing

I can only summarize that the couple thought we were a family; in a way we were. But when they went to coo at the child and Bella unzipped the screen, it was only shock. Bella wasn't embarrassed, that was all me. The old lady glared at me like it was my fault for pretending there was a child in the hideous stroller. Every pack member heard as she walked away with her husband, muttering about the nerve of some people. It was going to be a long flight.

"How many bags will you be checking in, sir?" The airline clerk asked when it was our turn. Wrestling with my pack-mates for their I.D's had been surprisingly easy and if I could check the bags and board onto the plane without incident, I'd be in heaven.

"Everyone has a single suitcase except Bella, who has two pieces of checked luggage," I replied, handing a license back to Quil who was arguing with Sara about how large of a hole a plane needed to lose pressure. _Of all the places…We're going to be arrested. _I didn't see Fate; they must have been looking for another Marshal to help.

"No I don't, Jake." Bella answered. Between the rising argument and a missing Fate, it took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about.

"Honey, I think you're forgetting Van. He'll be counted as a piece of luggage," I replied distractedly, listening to Claire contribute on how many different ways a hijacker could damage a plane.

"Not if I'm taking him in the cabin with me."

Bella had my full attention now. Hell, I barely noticed Paul's headlock around Quil or the fact that Embry was leading Sara away to a corner for time out.

"Uhh, come again?" I asked, the clerk raising an eyebrow as we tried to recount the luggage thing.

Bella was perfectly calm as she looked directly at me. "The cabin, Jacob. Van will be riding in the cabin with us."

"Bella, they aren't going to allow that," I said, pointing to the hideous stroller, "in the cabin and they certainly won't allow you to just carry him without a containment cage."

"Jake, sweetie, this isn't the first time I've travelled with Van; I know that. I'll leave him in the stroller until we board. At which point, I'll transfer him to the smaller case and the attendants will take the bigger one to check it in. Airlines do it all the time for parents with kids." With a pat to my arm, Bella pulled out some documents to show the lady and moments later our group was moving out to the terminals. I had yet to pick my chin up off the ground; Quil helped with that problem.

"Woot-woot! Mile high club, baby," Quil practically shouted to Claire, causing at least half the airport to stare at us_. Gee, that hadn't happened for at least fifteen minutes now._

Even Fate couldn't understand why I let Quil come with us. Hell, I didn't know myself. Somewhere between 'The more the merrier' and 'Safety in numbers' I had allowed for them to join. Quite honestly, I was hoping Bella would've thrown a fit about it, but somehow she didn't hold any type of grudge towards Quil over Vatan's mishap. With all of that, plus Sam's phone call of how the rest of the pack was demining Quil's property of critter traps, he was going. Apparently Quil needed another tutorial of how to act in public places. Stepping away from Bella to grab his arm, I dragged him a few feet away from the group.

"Listen here, asshole. I haven't said word fucking one about this entire mess you've created. The very least you could fucking do is not draw attention to us." Quil gave me a pointed stare before turning to where Bella was standing with the Vatan beacon of shame. "Any more attention," I gritted out through my teeth. Quil just smirked.

"Alright, dude, but I for one plan to take advantage of the first-class bathroom. I bet cupcake would appreciate a little licky-licky to help with all the stress and shit. Hey, do you think we could grab some doughnuts before we board?"

"Quil, you are forbidden to be in an airplane bathroom with anyone unless a vampire is on the attack. In fact, if there is a vampire in the bathroom, you are forbidden to even open the damn door," I clarified, knowing he was about to play the scenario game.

Before he could gain any more momentum, I continued. "And why the hell would you want some goddamn doughnuts? We just ate not a fucking hour ago. Management had to come over and tell you that an all-you-can-eat buffet had a six plate maximum and then you went and wheedled two more plates from Claire."

Clasping both of his hands on my shoulders, Quil looked me dead in the eye. "Jake, the doughnuts aren't for eating. I'm talking about plain glazed, unobtrusive cakes of glory."

Oh my god, I knew that look Quil had and yet the words still left my mouth. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"Don't you remember when we were like twelve or some shit and we decided that doughnuts had holes for a reason?" Quil pleaded with me.

I neither knew what the hell he was talking about or who the hell he was. Most of my childhood memories with Quil, I had mentally blocked in fear of saying the wrong thing to Bella. If it had been legal, I would have checked him with the luggage. Fate was apparently warming back up to Quil as I shook my head no. There was no other explanation for his next statement.

"Doughnuts, dude! We used to try to fuck 'em. I've learned, though, that they make excellent, unnoticeable, sex toys when you put them on and your imprint gets the benefit of some carbs before her protein intake." _Was there nothing that Quil couldn't turn into sex?_

I was in hell; probably never having left it to begin with. _Was that a…chalkboard?_ Suddenly Quil's delusions were mine. Psychological reports and case studies had never recorded anything like this. Even werewolf lore didn't cover doughnut depravity. Searching for the one scent that I knew couldn't be duplicated, I latched onto the anime ammonia of Vatan. Sure as shit, I was back in airport-hell.

Shaking my head at Quil's explanation- or maybe it was to clear my own thoughts- I smacked him across the cheek. "Wake up, Quil, this is a different alternate universe."

_Please, god, let the bastardization of baked goods be a different universe._

It took him a moment for his eyes to clear. "What was I saying?" Quil asked, looking around the hallway we were in.

"You were just talking about how we should hurry and find our gate and maybe stop at the bookstore before the flight is called." No way in this hell was I going to repeat the conversation we just went through.

Even in whatever state currently described Quil, he still retained enough of himself to know that he'd never suggest something as mundane as a bookstore. His eyes narrowed and I turned to see what he was glaring at. Barely visible through the mesh, an evil face appeared. Smirk firmly in place, Vatan gave a small purr before turning his back on us. Cold dread swept through me, especially when Quil answered.

"That's cool, dude. Why are we just standing here?" He asked, both of us attempting to ignore the purring of the near-by Vazuzu. _Does that sound like the wings of…locust?_

Shaking my head, the two of us walked back over to our waiting party. The stares at Prince Vanning continued, hitting the high point when we reached security. A TSA agent took the carriage while Bella walked through the detector then asked her to step aside while they ran a wand over Vatan's stroller. I decided right then and there; when Bella and I had children, I would not fly with them until they were old enough to walk. Fate showed up before I could suggest a full body cavity search of the furry monster. To ease the looks of mocking from other passengers, Fate bullied a toddler three lanes over. Once the screaming started, most people gave up on our circus act.

Finally finding our gate, the girls dropped their carry-on bags into nearby chairs before discussing what shops to hit. Bella didn't seem interested, but the rest of them were treating this place like a mall. Five fucking stores and they wanted to examine the merits of each one before deciding on a course of action. Judging by the looks from Embry, Quil and Paul, this was an aspect to imprinting I had not known about.

"Bella, do you want to check out the book store before the flight is called?" I asked her, instantly winning brownie-points from the imprints. The other guys just glared, as I broke an ancient guy law: Thou shall not encourage a woman to shop.

"No, Jake, I'm good. Besides, Van's carriage won't fit in that store and someone might try to steal him," Bella answered reverently.

I, on the other hand, could barely to keep it together, trying not to laugh. Even if someone wanted to steal the dust-mop, his cage was an alarm on its own. Pilots on the other side of the terminal were probably blinded by the sight.

Barnes & Noble was a god send. Apparently a lot of travelers required the knowhow of what made a cat tick. I was able to get a thick textbook containing everything I wanted to know, and a lot I didn't, of what made these furry monsters tick.

Boarding the plane was nothing like I had expected. I let Paul, Rachel, Claire and Quil board first to make sure it was vamp-free, knowing that if anyone could clear a plane of passengers fast, it would be Quil. When last-call was finally made, I held open the smaller cage for Bella to transfer the demon into. Embry stood off to the side in an offensive position to dive and tackle should Vatan attempt to break free. He didn't and once the little door locked, I handed him to Bella, glad to be rid of him. His silence disturbed me more than his purring.

******8

Upon arriving in Los Angeles- a city that should seriously consider changing its name- I instructed everyone but Bella and Embry to go collect our luggage while I went to rent us some cars. The Lexus SUV was easy to choose considering it could hold up to eight passengers and all of us would be able to ride together should we decide to participate in group activities. Since I'd still need my own vehicle to get to and from the conference, I thought about what else to rent.

Call me presumptuous but even the name of the vehicle seemed fitting: A Hummer Alpha.

It was a little pricey, but everything was in California. I consoled myself with the idea that should Bella and I ever be out by ourselves, the added durability of a Hummer was to help keep her safe. Surely this was one of those rare positive signs from Fate.

"Jesus, dude! Tell me you're gonna let me drive this thing?" Quil asked when Bella and I pulled up to our waiting passengers in the Hummer. Embry stopped right behind me and motioned for Paul to start throwing luggage in the back of the Lexus.

"Not a chance, Quil. Stop drooling already and start loading the back," I informed him. Rachel jumped into the Lexus with Sara and Embry, Paul joining her once the hatch was closed. Claire eyed them for a moment before happily getting in the Hummer to talk with Bella and an anxious looking Vatan. Not even hesitating, Quil joined her, and once I made sure Embry knew where we were going, we left LAX to go to the resort, Terranea.

Check-in went a lot smoother than I anticipated, and once the wolf kiddies had run through every room of the suite we were occupying for the next few days, it was decided we should check out the beach.

Walking into our bedroom to change into some trunks and hopefully catch Bella partially naked, I nearly tripped over the fuzzy speed bump. Vatan, the fucker, was lounging across the doorway while Bella talked to him as she set up his food, water and toys. She had left the embarrassing stroller contraption parked in front of the windows overlooking the beach in case the hairball was interested in sleeping in the sun while watching the beach. Fate set up a cot there too.

I hadn't seen my imprint changing into a suit but the garment made up for anything I may have missed. Bella wasn't ashamed of her body in the least, and the platinum colored string called a bikini let everyone know that.

_I just might floss my teeth with that later- while she's wearing it._

Grinning like a horny idiot, I waited as she finished attending Vatan before we joined the herd, err…pack and made our way to the tiny beach located for the sole use of the villa's occupants only. Spreading out some towels, we decided to go for a swim. That is, until Quil opened his mouth.

"Looking good there, cupcake. I bet Jaws is drooling just past the break, waiting for you to come and tempt him. All sparkly like that in your get-up, you'll attract an underwater death machine with your silver food-flashlight. No more than the lands one though," Quil smirked, pointing to some retirees. Fate conveniently appeared to dab at the drool, as the men eyed Bella hungrily and appreciatively.

"Quil!" I yelled, watching Bella's smile turn panicky.

"Sharks? I mean, I know they're out there, but are any nearby?" Bella asked, looking at me for answers.

Water may not have been a werewolf's specialty but all of the guys knew we would be able to detect and deflect an attack if it were to ever happen.

"Honey, Quil's just being his usual ass-like self. You'll be perfectly safe, I promise. Do you really think any of the other girls would go swimming if it was an issue? Or that any one of us would let them?" I questioned her softly while wondering how long I could hold Quil underwater before it was termed homicide.

Less than ten minutes later and all of us were splashing around in the waves to have fun. The girls decided to head back to the beach to lie out while us guys engaged in a wrestling match. It was all in fun and I came to as close as I could get for my answer: eight minutes.

There's one thing I can be thankful for with my mates from La Push: They're not high class. High maintenance, yes, but in no way classy. Quil took Sara and Claire to get us Chinese take-out for dinner. The remainder of us debated on what pay-per-view movie to rent; another silent prayer was given that Quil wasn't here to offer his opinion.

"What?" I wolf whispered to Paul and Quil. For the past twenty minutes they had been staring at Bella during the movie and I was starting to get a little pissed off.

"Dude, that's just wrong," Quil shot back, continuing to stare. Turning my head slightly, I watched as Bella nibbled away at a dumpling. Usually she chose such odd condiments that anything she may have requested from a Chinese joint would have seemed normal. In fact, she hadn't made any type of weird request concerning food for tonight. I had no idea what Quil was talking about.

"It's just a dumpling, Quil. What the hell is your problem?" I hissed, checking out Bella's clothing, thinking that something was showing that shouldn't be. She had on a pair of loose fitting cotton yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt. Nothing distracting was visible.

"Not that, That!" Quil exclaimed, pointing once again to my imprint, only slightly lower.

There at the base of her feet, sat King Vatan with his own plate. The flat-faced tapeworm was munching down on take-out as well, courtesy of Bella. Granted, watching him trying to gnaw through breaded chicken wasn't the prettiest sight, but it certainly didn't account for the looks on Paul and Quil. I had seen their look only once before, when the three of us were nine and had convinced my dad to let us watch an R-rated movie. Amidst Milk duds, popcorn and nachos we jumped, gasped and held our chests in horror as some weird creature popped out of the chest of a space ship salvager in the movie, _Alien_.

"I still don't get it. What's the big deal?" While whispering the question, Vatan dropped his chicken, looked at us, licked his lips and smirked before turning his attention to a dumpling.

"How the hell can you sit there and watch a cat eating cat? J, man, that's just gross. It's like…like he's a little furry cannibal."

Paul went on with his cannibal theory while Quil supplied other points to help supply their ridiculous notion. Since they weren't conversing loud enough for anyone else to notice, I didn't feel the need to point out that if Vatan was self-indulging, it couldn't be any worse that they too had just eaten cat. Fate was all about discussing eating kitty.

Bella wasn't particularly interested in having sex when we went to bed. Too bad my dick missed the memo. Both of us completely stripped bare, she sprawled against my chest trying to fall asleep while my body kept trying to poke her on its own. We both finally fell asleep; Bella giggling softly and me trying not to turn sheep-counting into some disgusting hillbilly farm activity.

Six a.m. came fucking early. Somehow the alarm clock had been dragged underneath the bed, but it still woke me up. Sliding a sleeping Bella off of me, I proceeded to roll/crawl across the mattress. Hitting the floor, I found the screaming clock and shut it off before pulling myself into an upright position. Peeking back over the bed, my imprint was snuggled deeply in the covers. . With three other wolves, the a/c was set pretty low and a guaranteed bitch-fest would ensue if I dared to turn it up. After putting two more blankets on top of Bella, I took a shower. I hadn't even shut the door completely when Vatan awoke from his zombie-slumber and dived from his carriage to the bed. I could hear his meaty little paws, kneed at the covers as he tried to squirm closer to Bella. The fucker better not drool on my pillow or I'd zip his ass inside Quil's suitcase tomorrow morning. On second thought, maybe Paul's.

Once I had finished dressing, muttering obscenities to the snoring fur-hag and collecting my laptop and notes, I gave Bella a gentle kiss good-bye with a promise to call her as soon as I could later in the day.

Rapping once on Embry's door to remind him to keep my mate safe and let her do whatever she damn-well pleased, I set off to complete the making of a fortune. This project was the perfect way to ensure Bella and I could be happy for a long time with no monetary worries and I wanted to complete it as quickly as possible. Somehow I missed Fate, sitting in the corner, drinking coffee and reading the classifieds.

* * *

A/N: FYI. Pazuzu is the name of an ancient demon thought to control the winds and droughts.

Should you require resort visuals, you can find them at www(dot)terranea(dot)com.


	26. For Whom the Fate Tolls

Eleven a.m. and I was bored out of my fucking mind. Most of the major players had been introduced. Had they just said their names and the company they owned or belonged to, this could have wrapped up two hours and forty-five minutes ago. For Christ's sake, every fucking person at the table had a name plate sitting in front of them. Instead, each individual spent ten minutes talking about the honor and privilege of being able to contribute to such a project. There were still fifteen un-introduced figures present. Had I stabbed myself in the eye with the pen that was incessantly clicking away in my hand, I would have found more enjoyment.

When twelve-thirty rolled around and the head spokesman announced a lunch break, I turned my attention to Chris. He was hunched over his laptop and not wanting to interrupt whatever online emergency he was dealing with, I waited for him to notice me. When he slammed the screen shut a few minutes later, I was loath to add to his ire. He was breathing kind of heavily and had a glimmer of rage in his eyes.

"Hey, Chris, are you okay?" I asked my friend, worried that he might have gotten some type of notice that this project wouldn't be able to go forth. Clearly, it was business related for him to have been so absorbed during the meeting.

"Fucking, lazy-ass. I can't send my character to work until-" Chris started to explain before I interrupted him.

"Character?" I repeated, starting to feel a little insulted. What did he refer to me as when speaking to others? Chris was eyeing me like Quil does when he's about to unleash a turd of ignorance.

"The Sims game. Have you never played it?" Shuffling the rest of his papers together, Chris was waiting for me to laugh or chuckle or something.

"You were playing a game?" Briefly I thought of stabbing him in the eye as well. Had I known video games were an option, I sure as hell would have played something, anything!

"Jacob, these meetings are usually boring as shit. With the exception of three faces here, I've already been introduced at least a dozen times to the rest. I can't believe they still do this unnecessary hoop-la. I can learn more about each person and their company from Wikipedia than I can from listening to them spew polished vomit over their many awards and accomplishments."

"Then why the fuck did you insist on dragging my ass out here? I don't care where the hell all of these people come from; I could have just made a thirty minute guest appearance and been that much happier."

"Jake, come on, man. These people are part of the assembled project that are going to fork over twenty million dollars to you. You might want to pay just the slightest bit of attention so you can at least send out Christmas cards. Hey, don't you live near a place called Forking?"

"Please, Chris," I groaned, wanting to rip out my hair. "My attendance is not necessary for that. I'll have a copy of the meeting notes where every person will be named, probably with an address as well so I can send out generic wishes of meaningless crap in December. And I think you're referring to Forks, not Forking."

Was I always to be surrounded by idiots? Chris knew damn well I didn't live in Forks and certainly there wasn't a town named after a slang term for sex.

"Wow, she's really done a number on you," Chris said, taking in my look of exasperation.

"Who?"

"The girl. Man, I've never seen you so hung up about a standard business proposal. I can only assume that this chick has you wrapped around her finger and she's making you feel guilty for leaving her alone for the day."

"Trust me, you have no idea what you're talking about. Besides, she's not completely alone; some of my family came with us and they're all out enjoying the sights of L.A. as we speak." As soon as I said that, Fate appeared. Hands full of tourist brochures, it slid them out of my sight and my hackles tingled. How much trouble could my imprint be in with a group of wolves?

"Well, I still can't wait to meet her."

"Yeah, I'll see if she wants to stop by here sometime. Maybe they can meet us up for lunch."

"I just figured you'd bring her with you to the party," Chris replied, shrugging his shoulders. I started to feel anxious, being duped by another P word.

"Uhh,…party?"

"I told you, Jake, this is big. After everything is done and set into motion on Friday, Asgard Holdings is co-hosting a semi-formal ball slash dinner party. All the big wigs want to show off their trophy wives while congratulating themselves on what will be one of the biggest announcements ever to be made. They're also going to be honoring silent partners and donators. This gala will be like a premier for the business world. Did I forget to tell you? It's no big deal, I'm sure your girl will just be fawning to play dress up. What better place for her to find a dress than L.A.?"

No big deal? He was talking about an affair that would have more than five hundred people attending, not to mention the fact that I couldn't exactly drag part of the pack with me to such an event for security. A nighttime event with so many people would be an easy way for vamps to crash. Out of all of the hundreds of smiling faces, they would just be one more aesthetic in the crowd.

"So it's this Friday?" I hedged, attempting to plot and disregard ideas quickly: _Illness? Death? Sam mentioned clearing out Quil's minefield; maybe he could get a picture of a caught pack-mate?_

"No. It won't be for a couple of weeks; maybe even a month or two."

_Oh good. We wouldn't be_ _here, having safely returned to La Push and…_

"You'll have to fly back for the event. It'll be your payday, so to speak. Talk it over with your hot little thing; I'm sure she'll be thrilled. Look, I gotta go grab some grub. I'll see you back here in a little bit." Chris left the room, and I sat alone for a few more minutes, trying to think of how to avoid the futuristic tacky party.

The only gown I was interested in seeing Bella wear would be one that either started with the word_ night_ or _wedding_. Since she had already said the marriage thing was not to be mentioned, that only left night-gowns as a valid thought. Definitely not an appropriate image to have at work, though.

I was still left with the problem of having to bring Bella back to L.A. for the party. Protocol dictated that I have a date. I had no intention of not bringing her with me; the trick was how to accomplish it with wolf back-up? Maybe I could convince Chris that I wanted to include an assistant. Unfortunately, that wolf would not only need to know how to be civil in a social setting but they'd also have to be able to talk about something other than sex. That shortened the list considerable.

Remembering that I had no idea where my mate was, I decided to call Bella and see what she was up to. I stepped into the elevator to head out and get some lunch as well as I hit speed-dial. Her phone rang six times before going to voicemail, causing me to frown. Even if she couldn't hear her cell, one of the guys would have commented about the ring. I attempted one more time before giving in to total panic. The beginnings of hyperventilation during the fifth ring stopped when someone answered.

"Hello, this is Bella's secretary. How may I direct your call?" Quil answered in a snooty voice.

_And resume hyperventilation._

"Quil, what the hell are you doing? And why are you answering Bella's phone?"

"Jake? Hey, man, how's it going?" His tone was gone and once again respectful. Well as respectful as Quil could ever be. I knew he was hiding something.

"Gee, let's think about this: Quil, the most mentally disturbed of the group that is currently watching my imprint, is answering her phone. How the hell do you think I'm doing?"

Paul's voice echoed from the background of the phone line. "Is that Big A? You're in deep shit now; I told you this was a bad idea." Quil made some type of shushing noise before addressing me again.

"Jake, relax. She's fine. You're going to be known as the first werewolf to have high blood pressure if you keep freaking out about every little thing. The girls wanted to get out of the hotel and sight see a little. Currently we're at an…amusement parks of sorts. Just outside the city. No vamp activity and everyone still has all of their body parts in tact."

"That's great, Quil," I replied sarcastically. "Now put my mate on the phone before you no longer belong to the category of 'having all of your body parts'!"

"Well, yeah, about that. See, Bella's a little tied up at the moment and currently can't come to the phone. It should only be a few more minutes and then I'll have her call you back, I promise."

"Quil, I am counting to three before my patience totally leaves and I Alpha-command your ass to walk around on your hands and knees, barking like a dog for the rest of the day."

"That's not cool, dude. I told you-" Quil stopped talking to me to answer someone else in the background. "Now? Ten seconds? Yes!" Even if I wanted to, there was no way I could be anywhere in ten seconds to help save Bella from whatever horrible incident she was about to face.

"Look, J, I gotta go. She's fine; even having a little bit of fun. Bye." Quil disconnected the call pretty quickly but he wasn't fast enough. Before I was met with airtime silence, I could hear the distinct screaming of Bella.

During the next five minutes, my heart stopped beating more than once; I dreamed up at least twenty five ways to make Quil scream in the same fashion; and tomorrow, Chris could find a partially empty office somewhere in the building to house Bella for the day. No way was I leaving her with the wolves again. If I let any of them live to begin with.

Thirteen minutes and fifty-four seconds later-another strike against Quil- my cell rang. I had managed to find a bit of solitude in a parking garage in case of an eruption of furriness anger.

The caller-ID said Bella and I answered with a somewhat hospitable, "Hello."

"Hi, Jake. Quil said I needed to call you back right away but not why. Is everything okay?" Bella asked sweetly, causing my anger to melt just a little.

Even over the phone though, I could hear her heart racing a mile a minute, increasing my own nervousness. Whatever type of park they were at, it would be Quil's last amusement.

"Yes, sweetie, everything is fine for me. What about you? What are you guys doing?" It's nothing short of amazing that I could formulate an understandable vocabulary of words. My teeth were cemented and my jaw never moving as I talked to Bella.

"Oh my gosh, it was so scary," Bella gushed.

All I heard was a crack as I bit even harder to stop from screaming. Or exploding. Both sounded like a really good idea.

"I really didn't want to but Quil assured me it was safe and that you wouldn't mind since you guys used to go cliff diving and this was practically the same thing-"

"He made you go cliff diving! Where?" I screamed at her, instantly feeling guilty.

None of this was Bella's fault and Quil truly did not want to live another day. Paul probably backed him up on the whole thing and with those two behind the wheel of ideas, Embry wouldn't have stood a chance. His kryptonite would have been Sara and she was an easy adrenaline junkie to encourage.

"No, we didn't jump from a cliff," Bella answered hesitantly. I could barely hear her over the sharp noises known as breathing that were emitting from me. Fate made sure I could fully appreciate her statement and once my gasping stopped, she continued.

"Sara said that even though I lived in Seattle, I probably would enjoy a less city-like activity."_ I_ _knew Sara was the catalyst in this._ "I told her I was comfortable doing whatever the group wanted to and they all seemed really interested in a forest hike."

Fucking hell, they lived inside a goddamn forest most of the year. I could feel my pressure begin to build again as Bella went on describing their adventure.

"…so after hiking for a couple of hours, we got to this beautiful, abandoned bridge. Oh, wait until you see some of the pictures, Jake, they're really beautiful. Maybe we can go out there again and take Van; I know he'd love it. Well, minus the bungee jumping…"

Shit-kebobs! A group of my nearest and dearest had not only pushed my imprint off a bridge, but prolonged it by watching her bounce. None of the pack would let me actually touch Sara and I'm sure Embry tried his damnedest to talk them out of it, but I dreamed. Tying nooses around all of them, I'd fling them off a bridge as well. Of course, I wouldn't use a bungee line. I'd even make it special and use the same bridge they pushed my sweet, self-sacrificing and very breakable imprint from. Said imprint's voice bought me back from my plotting.

"I was really scared, but everyone else went and I didn't want them to think I wasn't having any fun. Jake, are you still there?"

"Yes, honey," I managed to garble out. "I'm still here," _barely._ "Are you okay though? Are you bruised, scratched, broken in any way?"

Bella giggled lightly before assuring me, "No, Jake. Nothing has been rearranged. We're getting ready to leave so I can check on Van, and then if here's enough time, the girls wanted to walk down Hollywood Boulevard before it gets dark. How is your meeting going? What time do you think you'll be home?"

"My day has been enlightening so far," I snickered slightly- borderline hysterical- remembering the punishment I would be inflicting later. _Take that Fate-fuckers._ "I'm not sure what time they'll wrap-up for today, but it probably won't be much later than five o'clock, six tops."

"Okay, well, I miss you. I need to get going though; everyone's getting ready to hike back to the van."

Bella didn't sound like she was relaxed but at least she was somewhat happy despite Quil pushing her towards death. I was hoping that Fate was still swinging from the bridge, preferably from its neck.

"I miss you too, sweetie," I murmured softly, before steeling my voice somewhat. "Before you hang-up though, could I perhaps speak to Quil? Just hand him the phone, he can catch up with you guys in a few."

"Okay, Jake," Bella answered, relieved that I was no longer yelling. "I love you and I'll see you tonight."

My heart was doing a victory dance. I could hear her call to Quil, followed by his mutterings of, "he has no right to be pissed. Oh sorry, Bella, I was talking to myself. You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." The phone switched hands and it took awhile before Quil spoke. Now that I had heard Bella's voice, I could wait for Quil's.

"Dude, I told you. She's fine. Everyone had a lot of fun and no one died, so you can't be pissed," Quil hurried to explain in a single breathe.

Pausing to absorb and then disregard his ranting, I asked patiently, "Quil, do you know what the punishment is for throwing the Alpha's imprint off of a cliff?"

"Don't be stupid, dude," Quil snorted out. "J, they didn't even have bungee jumping when werewolf laws were written. Have you been chewing on real lead pencils again? I told you, mechanical ones are the way to go so you don't have to gnaw at the things to re-sharpen the point."

_So much for my patience, let the anger rule._

"I swear to god, Quil, you will march your ass back to the fucking villa and stay there until I get back. You will not pass go, you will not collect any fucked-up toys and so mother-fucking help me, if the seven of you are not inside when I get back, tomorrow's headlines will read 'Huge wolf viciously attacks and kills local tourists from Washington'. Do I make myself clear?"

This was ludicrous. Too much time spent around the same jack-asses and Quil couldn't adapt to normalcy. If he didn't have werewolf healing abilities, I'd be none surprised to learn that one of his automotive customers ran his ass over. Hell, I might do that on general principals.

"Man, you're kind of being a prick. You do know that, right?" He asked peevishly causing my mind to halt and my mouth to go on auto-pilot.

"No, I'm not, Quil. If I was being a prick, I'd order Embry and Paul to kill you right now!"

"I wasn't talking about your attitude towards me, although it is kinda shitty. But I was talking about how you're being so fucking anal towards what Cupcake can and can't do while you're around. You're trying to call all of the shots and not let her decide anything for herself. That's not cool, dude, and if you keep this shit up, her ass is going to dump you."

I wouldn't say the next five seconds of silence were the longest I had ever felt. However, during that time, my brain analyzed every second I had even spent with Bella. I was mid-memory of our plane ride when the tremors kicked in and my metaphorical wolf came out to enforce. Even Fate took a step back.

"You moronic jack-ass! If Bella wants to cliff-dive or go parachuting or fuck, if she wanted to go swing-dancing with a couple of homicidal maniacs, I wouldn't stop her. I may beg and plead for her to change her mind but if she was dead-set, I'd let her. The only catch to all of that would be that I went with her. Not because I'm trying to control her but because I'd like to make sure she could fucking live long enough during and after to talk about it. That makes me a caring person, not an asshole!"

"Jeez, don't get you're panties in a bunch, dude. All I'm saying is that-"

"You're pissed off because I'm rightly upset that you guys convinced her to do something she wouldn't normally do," I answered knowingly.

"You are way off, I'm mad because-"

"Really?" I snidely remarked, interrupting him again. "So you're going to tell me that had I been at the villa with you guys today, you and Paul would have suggested the bungee thing? That you wouldn't have goaded Sara-cause I know you sure as shit did- to have a moment of extremeness and help convince Bella to go?"

"Well, when you put it that way, probably not. BUT, only because you would have smacked the shit out of me on the head had I even suggested it and then spent time convincing Bella that going to some stuffy museum or art show, would be more entertaining."

"You are wrong, Quil." _Not about the smacking part._ "If Bella wanted to do something risky, we would have gone. But at least I could have been there to watch and make sure she wasn't just accommodating you guys because it's in her nature to do so. I'm not discussing this with you any more, Quil. You will do as I have instructed and the seven of you will be at the villa tonight where we can set our happy asses down and discuss the topic of peer pressure. Do I make myself my clear?" I demanded, the Alpha authority rolling clear and precise from within. Quil was out of options.

"Yeah, I hear you. We'll see you tonight." click.

Quil was being pissy, but he could get over it. The thought that he viewed me as controlling made me feel both sick and happy. Bella was free to do as she wanted without my input but we were an imprinted pair. If there was ever any doubt, we could talk about it and come to an agreeable conclusion.

The happy part came in regards to Quil. He obviously lacked the skill required to balance needs against wants, but in the end, he was required to answer my demands. I gave him a lot of leeway, especially when it came to his actions and ideas. We had always bickered with each other incessantly as kids; why would that change as adults? Now that I was blessed with an imprint who needed guidance, protection and adequate role-models, Quil needed to pull his shit together.

I used the rest of my lunch break to actually get some food and think about both my meeting for my career and later on, the one dealing with my life.

Having to listen to eight hours of logistics that didn't hold any interest for me, may have been a way for Fate to torture to me. Being able to return to the hotel and see my imprint made up for any of those inconveniences, especially when she was more than willing to express her love physically. Fate frowned and shuffled the life cards again.

Arriving back at the villa a little after six o'clock, I walked in to find three wolves staring at the T.V. petulantly, looking like they had already been reprimanded. Three imprints sat in the dining room looking at magazines or something. My imprint was not one of them.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Setting my briefcase down by a couch, I waited for any one of them to answer me.

When nobody did, Rachel spoke up. "Nothing much, Jake. Quil said you wanted us to wait until you got home so we could decide on dinner."

"Where's Bella?" I asked. I knew where she was, I could hear her heartbeat. What I meant was, why wasn't she out here socializing with the rest of them?

"I don't know," Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "She was with us up until about thirty minutes ago, then her phone rang and she went into the bedroom to take the phone call in private. I just assumed it was you, giving her lovies and she was too embarrassed to talk in front of us."

It sure as hell wasn't me and my gaze landed on the three silent ones in the room. Quil and Paul started to shift uncomfortably, refusing to look at me while Embry kept his stoicism. Clearing my throat loudly, one by one they looked up at me. None of them looked happy. Fate showed up in a cape.

"What?" I barked, suddenly realizing I might have misread their stances.

"It was one of her leeches. They are pissed off and Bella spent a lot of time trying to calm down one of them named Edward. Dude, she told them where we are," Quil answered before dropping his eyes back to the floor

I sucked in my breath so sharply that Rachel looked up from her text. Taking in our expressions, she pulled at Claire's and Sara's arms. All three got up and left to one of the other bedrooms, leaving just the wolves present. My own heart was thundering as Quil continued to speak softly in fear of me lashing out.

"She just got off the phone a few minutes before you showed up. We'll, uhh, wait out here while you go to talk to her."

Staring at my brethren, what I had mistaken as petulance was warranted, concealed anger. They had heard the voices of the damned and all of it now felt real to them. A nomad crossing our territory was one thing, but to know a coven possessed an actual attachment to an imprint and talked to her on the phone was a supernatural slap.

"Quil, go tell Claire what you want for dinner and then head outside for a human patrol. Keep it low-keyed and then return in forty-five minutes. Once it gets dark, we'll switch every three hours until sunrise."

With a nod, Quil took off in search of the girls and I gave a silent prayer that he'd choose somewhere simple for dinner. If he didn't, I couldn't really fault him seeing as how it had been my oversight to begin with. Paul and Embry watched as I walked to my room, where I rapped once on the door before entering. The rejected peanut butter painting was curled up against Bella and gave me a silent snarl before padding across the bed to throw himself into his sunning stroller. I tried really hard not to laugh but with so much recent stress, I think I was cracking a little.

"What's wrong, honey?" I asked Bella. Reclining against the pillows, she opened her eyes to give me a worthy smile before twisting her hands nervously.

"I just got off the phone with my brother. He's furious with me for agreeing to fly down here with someone I barely know." Scrunching up her nose distastefully, Bella looked at me again.

Her explanation confused me. Maybe with an eternity on their hands, vamps took the courtship thing a little slower, but to humans (and make-believe but really real shape-shifter) we had clocks to follow. Clocks that clearly tolled, a near six-month relationship was not too soon to trip plan.

"Didn't you tell him we've been dating for a while? It's not like I just picked you up in a bar last week and suddenly we're jet-setting around the U.S."

"And I told him that," Bella confirmed. "But he thinks I'm either lying about how long I've known you or that I have known you for a while and I'm lying because you're a bad person. Jake, I've never heard him so angry before; it kind of scared me."

"He won't hurt you!" I growled out. When a person you loved felt threatened, any spouse would become protective. Even Fate had to give me that one.

"I know that," Bella reassured me. Reaching out, she grabbed my hand began petting it, like she did with Vatan. _Gross._ "I've just never even seen Edward get angry towards me."

"Why is it any of his business anyways? You're an adult, you don't answer to it-him." Twisting my wrist slightly, our hands were still clasped. She just couldn't pet it.

_I'm not anal-retentive. I just don't like my mate touching me like a…a…cat! Definitely a werewolf thing._

"My middle sister, Alice, is a little cuckoo. She's been making up a lot of worst-case scenarios and her demeanor can be convincing. I'm sure Edward just listened to it one too many times before he figured he'd better call to make sure. Right now, he's probably telling her everything I said and she's trying to make her accusations fit. It'll die down after a day or two. But, honey, we should probably think about planning a trip to go visit them. I think it's time I introduced you to my family."

Fate found its cape again and I think I might have thrown up slightly. I certainly choked and sputtered momentarily before regaining control of myself. I knew this was an eventuality, I just wished otherwise. I could hear both Paul and Embry stop breathing for a minute while I debated on how to respond. They probably should have waited a few more minutes.

"That's a good idea, honey. Let's finish our trip here, move you into La Push and then we can arrange some type of fang—family meeting with your folks. Okay?"

With a soft sigh, Bella leaned over and embraced me tightly while mumbling, "thank you." Pressing her closely, I relaxed, knowing that as difficult as this was going to be, it had to be done. At least this way, we had the advantage regardless of what Fate had planned. With an evil, knowing grin, Fate flounced away and I paid no more attention to it.

Quil had chosen Greek for our evening fare. Bella confessed to having never really tried anything other than gyros. Sitting in front of me on the couch, I valiantly shook my head as the group tried to explain her incorrect description of what went into a proper gyro. Sara actually excused herself when Bella got to the part of ketchup fried shrimp drizzled with caramel sauce and then coated with green olives.

Bella and I ended up sharing Moussaka- a slightly spicy casserole of meat, cheese and non-flamboyant vegetables. She didn't seem to be eating much and judging by the smirk of Vanklava's, I suspected the demon was consuming most of it.

In the throes of our passion that night, it was sexy, wild, loving and somehow felt almost life altering. Thrusting just a few more times to reach my own climax while Bella was riding hers, something changed. As I felt her body gripping mine, the heat between us soared and I pushed deeply to release.

After regaining my breath, I pulled out as she collapsed on the bed before rolling over to give me a huge smile of satisfaction that I returned. It wasn't until I went to clean up that I froze in shock.

_Oh god, how the hell do I tell her there's been an accident?_ Fate handed me a cigar that simply said 'Congratulations'.


	27. TFO Total Fate Out

Fictional stories and movie directors always made it look like the flashing of your life was poetic. Scenes of childhood merriment, a last kiss of affection, your first job, walking for graduation; all of those things were supposed to flash. Not images of visceral, enraged future in-laws, carnage and tomb stones. Fucking Fate had set me up and there was no way to deliver a pay-back.

"Bella, honey, I need to tell you something," I mumbled, walking back towards the bed. Her eyes had closed and she had a dreamy smile on her face.

"Mmk, Jake. We can go again, just give me a few minutes," she whispered, stretching luxuriously.

Holy hell, I fucking wished. But I had this awful feeling that once I told her what had just happened, we wouldn't be having any more play-time tonight. Actually she'd probably rip off my dick and beat me senseless with it before packing her gear and heading home to Father Fang.

"No, sweetie, this is serious. Could you open your eyes please?" _So I can see the love before you realize I'm a grade-A screw up whom you want nothing to do with any more._

"Oh my gosh," she gasped, sitting upright in bed with her eyes now wide open. "Is this a need to know wolf thing? Are we in immediate danger? Let me put some clothes on, grab Van and then we can go!" She started to slide off her side in hastiness and I dove over my side of the bed, reached out to grasp her waist and pull her back to me.

"No, honey, we aren't in immediate danger," _maybe later, but…_ "I need to tell you something that just happened tonight. I swear, this is a first for me and I don't know what happened," _other than Fate. _

Bella struggled slightly as I attempted to rearrange us into a more comfortable position. With my legs, now dangling off her side of the bed, I had Bella sitting in between them with her back pressed to my chest.

"Jake, what was it? You're scaring me." She had stilled and I hugged her closely.

Leaning down and forward, I rested the side of my cheek just behind her ear before revealing the sordid mistake. "Sometime during our love-making, the…our…the contraceptive failed." I wanted to hug her even more tightly in case she just bolted, but I couldn't. Instead, I listened to our heart beats as she processed the gravity of the situation.

"What?" She finally asked, turning around to face me. Her fear was disappearing and being replace with a goofy grin like she thought she had misheard me.

"The condom broke. I didn't realize that's what happened until after I went to throw it away. I swear, it was an accident and I don't understand why; I've never had this happen before."

"Broke?"

_Broke, tore, ripped in half, disintegrated, failed. Did the word really matter at this point? _ "Yes, honey. It, uhh, broke and I know you aren't on the pill or anything and…"I trailed off.

"Oh…OH," she replied, her eyes going wide as she picked up on what I was implying. As expected, her panic set in and she slid off of the bed in a flurry, talking a mile a minute. "Jacob, look, I know I love you and you love me, but I have to ask: How many others have there been? When was the last time you were tested?"

Standing in front of me, completely irate and complete nude, I struggled to maintain eye contact. This was a serious discussion and I owed her every iota of respect it deserved_. Damn my werewolf horniness!_

"I…no, I've never been tested," I struggled to answer coherently. Fate stepped in and answered for me. "Why would I? I never thought about having kids until I met you and as far as I know, werewolves aren't capable of having a low sperm count." The words didn't register to me, but they did to my Bella. That scary, Medusa look crossed her face and stayed.

"Low sperm…Jacob, what the heck are you talking about? I asked you how many other women have you slept with and you want to talk about counting? I need to know if I should be concerned about contracting something."

I was horrified that she thought I'd even do something like that. I was also horrified that Fate sat off to the side, grinning as they held up a copy of the imprint rules and regulations. Bella had asked me a direct question and I had to answer it honestly. The majority of my concern was how she would react; the remainder being how many words she could come up with to describe me when I admitted the truth.

"Honey, I know you've said before you don't know too much about things pertaining to the 'w' word, so maybe we didn't quite get that far into our physiology. Our immune systems don't allow for us to get sick at all. Anything I might come in contact with wouldn't survive." Pausing to take a deep breath, I rushed on with the nitty-gritty, "Even with the amount of women I've slept with. Probably in the high hundreds somewhere," I shamefully admitted while Fate cowered behind an iron shield.

Bella's face morphed several more times before settling on incredulity. I braced myself, waiting for the emotional storm to unleash from her.

"You…don't get sick? At all?" she asked in complete shock.

"No," I answered slowly, wondering why this would be the starting point from her side. Fate handed me a casket catalogue to choose a spiffy looking pine box. Bella stumbled over to her bags and I got up to make one last plea for our relationship.

"I'm so sorry, honey, that you're mad, or embarrassed, or ashamed of me right now. I told you though, that is all in the past. I can't even think about being with anyone other than you." Standing behind her crouched figure, she stood up and spun around towards me before pushing me back to the bed.

When I was sitting down again, she stood in front of me with her eyes closed tightly before opening them again. Fate was helpfully digging a hole for the eight foot "pine-wood derby" special. I really hoped I didn't look like a dead hamster in that thing.

"Jacob, if what you're saying is correct than this is a miracle. Yes, I am surprised at the number of your past conquests, but I never asked the first time, did I? I'd really appreciate it if we never had to talk about that ever again." She gave me an inquisitive look and I happily nodded my consent while snubbing Fate.

Unless Bella asked, I was under no obligation to share such things and I could easily live with that. I hated Fate with a passion; the interference was extremely obvious and never-ending. But sometimes, like now, I had to wonder if maybe it really wasn't for the best. How many other girlfriends would shrug off that many conquests? My Imprint was better than perfect and I had to give credit for being matched so perfectly. This conversation still had a few loose ends to discuss. Bella wasted no time and Fate quickly returned to my shit-list.

"With samples of your blood and maybe some bone marrow later, your wolfiness could help cure a lot of things." Picking up the notebook I had failed to notice in her hand, she started jotting down a lot of medical terms while muttering to herself. By the time she had written down what suspiciously looked like 'extraction' I gently grabbed the pen from her.

"Bella, you can't do that. We, the pack and I, are slightly different genetic wise. There would be no way to isolate just our immune system for modern medicine. Even if there was, how would you explain it to colleagues? Honey, you can't expose us like that. It would decimate my entire tribe." Dropping the pen and notebook to the floor, I cupped her face, placing a kiss on her lips before pulling back to hurry along the rest of this disastrous discussion. However, Bella still had more to say.

"I can respect that, Jacob. But do you know the scientific impact that could have? Can I at least think about a way we might be able to go about it without giving away your secrets?" Giving me a pleading look, it almost broke my heart as I shook my head.

"Honey, it's not a possibility; I'm sorry. I don't think you truly understand everything I'm trying to tell you, though, Bella. Having a werewolf mutation, we are particularly virilely…potent. It's not a hit or miss for a werewolf; it's always dead-on." With the proverbial 'sperm out of the condom' or in this case, the actuality, I waited for her delayed meltdown.

"So you think I'm pregnant?" She questioned, chewing nervously on her lower lip. My heart skipped a few beats as I wondered if she'd start crying or yelling. She had to be due for one or another and I kept my voice even leveled.

"Well not this second, but if the sex became unprotected then chances are you will be," I replied, sounding like a sex-ed teacher. Thank god Quil was too far away, or else I'd have to listen to his diatribe of insults and suggestions.

"But werewolves still procreate the same way a human does, right? I mean, if I were to become pregnant I'd have to be ovulating and then still carry a fetus for nine months. Your…specific trait doesn't allow you guys to bend the basic rules for proliferation, does it?"

Pausing, I tried to determine where she was going with this before I answered. "No, it works the same way."

"Well then there isn't a problem," she answered. Bending over, she picked up the discarded writing utensils to return to her bag. Once again, I thought she was way too fucking calm and I struggled to understand while not drooling over the sight of her bare ass. Fate waltzed out of the closet, molesting a cabbage patch doll. Quil would have been sorry to miss that.

"Honey, you don't know that," I pleaded, as she stood up to return to the bed. "If you are pregnant, in about four weeks I'd be able to hear the heartbeat."

Fixing the duvet without a care in the world, she answered, "Don't be silly, Jake. There won't be any heartbeat, assuming of course we don't have another 'accident'." Patiently, she waited while I moved so she could climb in with me.

"Bella, you can't just dismiss this, honey. I'm serious; we need to discuss the possibility of having a child." Lying down on my back, I turned to look at her as she mimicked my position.

"Jacob, I'm not dismissing anything. You said it yourself; werewolves and their mates have kids just like everyone else. By that rule of thumb, I will not become pregnant. Mother Nature didn't give women the ability to become pregnant every time they have sex. I'm not fertile."

"At all?" I exhaled out slowly, ready to comfort her. Fate was throwing us too many damn curve-balls all at once. I needed at least a two-hour rest period in between crisis. My already tense muscles, stiffened to the point of immobility.

"At the moment. Relax, stud-muffin," she teased, rolling on her side to snuggle into my chest. "Maybe someday in the future we can try for kids, but at the moment I'd have to say no. My cycle just ended; your spermies are searching for a non-existent egg."

"Oh…well, why are we using condoms then?" I asked, hoping she'd say we wouldn't need to anymore. Fate snorted at my sex-crazed pleading and even Vatan hacked a little chuckle from wherever he had draped himself for the night.

Bella took it all in stride as she yawned out, "Force of habit."

"Maybe we could work on breaking that habit?" I suggested, gently rubbing my hand over the swell of her ass.

"Maybe…but not anytime soon." Reaching behind her, she grabbed my hand and placed it around her waist. With a slight tug, I pulled her on top of me to relish in my favorite sleeping position. With a contented sigh, Bella relaxed and quickly fell asleep.

Now that the crisis was over, I felt more tired than I should have. It might have had something to do with the fact that once Bella had clarified the subject of having babies, my muscles seemed to vanish from my body. I was somewhat relieved that I had three other wolves with me to divide up patrol time. Jell-O-Jake would have been useless against a vamp attack.

When the alarm clock went off a few hours later, I blindly searched for it on the nightstand. After yesterday's incident of it hiding under the bed, I had taped the device to the table surface, so the fur monster couldn't run off with it. He left me an equal surprise.

As my fingers hit the bar to stop the ringing, I encountered something squishy. Like a half-asleep dumb ass, I pondered what the hell it was before reality woke me up. Bella's shared dinner was partially coating the clock, courtesy of Vatan. Tonight, I was going to tape his fucking mouth shut to avoid these nasty upchuck performances he delighted in surprising me with.

Wisely, he wasn't anywhere visible while I cleaned up the mess before taking a shower to get ready for my meeting. No one had woken me up either, so that meant we were vamp-free still and the forecast for L.A. predicted sun, sun and more sun.

Whistling as I walked out to my car, I got a heavy scent of Quil the closer I approached the humvee. The second I opened the door, the enormity of why slapped me in the face. I just might be taping something of Quil's as well.

Rolling down all of the windows, I angrily dialed Quil's cell, listening to the song 'Finger Lickin' Good' by the Beastie Boys. He had decided that callers should be privileged to hear something other than a ringing.

"Ello," Quil mumbled into the receiver.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" I seethed, expecting an instant apology.

"Sorry, gramps. I promise not to put saran wrap on the toilet again."

_Ohhh, I'd give him a wrap alright! Right across his…_

"Quil, wake the fuck up!" I yelled into the phone, any calmness I may have had, completely gone.

I heard a bit of snorting and grumbling before Quil's awake voice came across. "Jake? Why are you shouting?"

"You dumb-ass! You didn't think I'd notice that you turned my rental into a sex-spot?" Out of the billion places he could have acted disrespectfully, he had to choose my truck? Boundaries did not exist in Quil's world.

"Geez, relax. I left the windows rolled down while Claire and I had a little fun. I would have smelled a leech if one had shown up." Fate reminded me that if I threw my phone out the window, I wouldn't be able to continue to yell.

"At this point in time, Quil, I almost wish a leech had shown. I could live with the stench of dried werewolf blood in my vehicle."

"Jake, that's a little mean. Would you really be happier to have a demolished car, instead of one that might just smell a little off? Are you sure, though? About the smell, I mean. Cause Claire isn't a spitter or-"

"Shut-up, Quil. I seriously don't need to hear any type of specific explanation as to what may or may not have happened between you and Claire."

"Jake, let me tell you, 'not' was nowhere in the vocab last night. More like 'Yes you may. Please, thank you and more' followed by-"

I had to cut him off again or risk losing my breakfast all over the steering wheel. _No! I am not Vatan!_ "Why couldn't you just wait until your shift was over like any normal wolf, huh?" I pleaded. There had to be some long forgotten oath to friendship that would make Quil listen to reason.

"Cause, it was boring out there and Claire missed me. When I called her to chat for a few minutes, she was teasing me about renting some porno. One thing led to another and before I knew it, she came outside and we hopped into the truck. Face it; you would've been ten times madder if I had done anything with Claire outside where anyone could have seen us. I'm pretty sure the resort has security cameras near the building."

There was no reasoning with him. No matter what I said, Quil would just illogically flip it. Feeling suddenly deflated, I tried anyways. "Why my vehicle though? Why couldn't you just use the Lexus instead?"

"Jake, do you really think it's fair I make Paul and Embry smell that all day while we're out sightseeing? You're only in that vehicle long enough to get to your meeting then it sits outside, unused all day long. Besides, Jake, it would have been a crime to rent a hummer on this trip and then not actually get one inside of it."

"Quil…you…I…"stuttering in disbelief over his explanation, I could feel my head throb and eyes twitch.

"I know, bro. This is just your fucked up way of thanking me. I'll talk to you later."

I must have driven for five or six miles with the cell still held to my ear, listening to nothing. Fate finally pried it out of my hands as I plotted and conspired to keep Quil out of my life as much as possible. A lyric from Quil's phone on repeat in my head: _'I do believe I've had enough'_.

88889

Arriving at my meeting for day two, I silently took a seat and waited for the discussions to begin. Now that the introductions were out of the way, David Gothall, the ring-leader, passed out three inch binders to everyone. In it, listed the overall divisions and who was the primary contact, time lines of the requirements and respective future meetings. Lunch was non-existent; a near-by deli delivered an assortment of sandwiches and it was far from filling. I managed to snag and devour two of the average sized subs before the meeting was called back into session.

Fate stood by the clock in the room, flicking the minute hand back two places for every one it clicked forward. By two o'clock my stomach began to cramp in hunger and started its moaning of despair. The first few rumbles, I covered up with coughing. It was going good until I took a drink of water and it groaned violently. Half the room looked at me and as a last-ditch effort; I too pretended to search out the culprit. I don't think anyone bought it.

When the day finally wrapped up, I was again mentally cursing Chris for dragging me to this. My death looks did nothing to shut him up on the way down to the parking garage when we left for the day.

"Jake, look, tomorrow it's all you, buddy. David will have you outline your system to us and then they'll probably ask a few questions."

"I know, Chris, and it's kind of dumb. The computerized generated model is flawless and all the math checks out. This far into a project and everyone should be past the questioning phase."

"Well, they probably just want to make sure-" Chris was cutoff as my stomach gave another mighty roar. I was probably going to have to stop at a drive-thru somewhere before going home for dinner.

"Damn, did you not eat early? I thought I saw you grab a couple of sandwiches, but maybe I was mistaken?"

"High metabolism. I can't keep this stud figure if I don't eat every couple hours," I joked, patting my stomach. Actually, I was trying to bitch slap my abdomen muscles silent until I got to the car.

Chris just grinned. "I bet your girl appreciates that during a romantic dinner: the two of you sensually sharing a piece of dessert while secretly you're stuffing your face with the remainder that's hidden nearby."

"Bella's well taken care of before I see to my own needs," I replied with a satisfied sigh, thinking of how much happier I'd be when I could see her in less than an hour.

Chris gave out an appreciative chuckle before continuing, "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow. Too bad you're not single, I hooked up with this very hot piece of ass last night and she wants to see me again tonight. She asked if I had any friends. You wanna join us to remember how great playing the field is?"

"Chris, I wouldn't give up my girl for anyone else. Bella is definitely my other half."

"Good for you. I figured you'd say no but that's okay; more for me. I'll give you my opinion of your girl when I finally get to see her. Have a good evening," Chris called out as he walked off to wherever he had parked.

Once he had vanished, I fished out my phone to call my girl, praying that Quil had actually heeded my warning and hadn't engaged in any possible life threatening activities. Fate chuckled at my naivety and once again, it wasn't Bella who answered her cell.

"Uhh, hi, Jake," Embry squeaked into the receiver, instantly setting me on edge. It took a lot to make a werewolf squeak, Quil being the exception.

"Uhh, hi, Embry," I parroted back, but in a snider tone. "Care to say why the hell you're answering Bella's phone and not Bella?"

"The girls have her occupied at the moment."

"Uh, huh. And you're answering because…?"

"Because I drew the short straw," Embry answered miserably. Fate whipped out a chalk board with a game of hang-man nearly completed. It was of no surprise that the 'man' was a brown wolf and the message nearly complete: Qu_l _s a dead b_tch.

_Ironic that a straw looks a lot like the letter 'I'._

"The short straw for what, Embry? If Quil is the mastermind behind this mysterious shit, you best get his ass on the phone now!"

"Aww, come on, Jake, don't be mad at me. I swear, this is nothing like yesterday's trip. The girls were getting cabin fever and wanted to do a little touristy type stuff. We're out on Hollywood, sight-seeing."

"The girls? Don't you mean Rachel, Sara and/or Claire wanted to go out and somehow convinced my imprint to follow?"

"Geez, Jake, I don't know! No one was forced, if that's what you mean." Fate pouted and I gave a semi-sigh of relief to his answer.

"Fine, Embry. I'll let you off the hook this time if you can swear, without a doubt, that my imprint is a hundred percent safe?"

"She's good, Jake. I promise."

"Fine. Will you guys be meeting me back at the villa? I just got done with my meeting and am starved."

"Ummm, hold on," Embry requested. I could hear him mumble my question out loud and then the phone shuffle hands.

"Big A, how's it hanging?" Paul asked, his obnoxious voice in full stride. "Quil filled us in on your anger issues from earlier. If you want, I can have Rach drop a few hints to your princess so you won't feel one-upped by Quil."

"I don't want to feel anything from Quil, especially a reminder of his disrespectfulness. On that note, you better hope and pray that wherever you guys are, is an acceptable place. I'm near the villa, what time will you be here?"

"The girls are having such a blast; why don't you join us? It'd be nice to eat at least one meal in peace and not have to smell or listen to that lint-ball take a dump," Paul remarked, referring to Vatan and his need to use the litter box just minutes after we sat down to eat.

"I'll give you that one," I said to Paul, remembering that even without our sense of smell, Bella had commented that Kahula was not something Vatan could easily digest. I made Quil have the honor of changing it only to be stopped by Bella. She still didn't trust Quil –who could blame her- and offhandedly mentioned that he might try to sprinkle bath-salts into the box. A bubble farting Vatan was more than enough to scare the guys straight.

"Where am I meeting all of you? I'm fucking starved!" My stomach started it's symphony of protest again and I pulled into a local hamburger franchise.

"Just head down Hollywood. The girls want to admire footprints and shit. As for dinner, you need to help control the destination on that. Princess mentioned having a craving and none of us can handle that without being offensive."

"Christ, you too? Her name is Bella and she's not hurting anyone when she eats. Fucking zip-it and admire the sidewalk. I'll find you-" I stopped mid-sentence, straining to hear…

"Fuck, that shit stung, bro," Quil hollered in the background, diverting my ire from Paul.

_Maybe Fate could be in two places at once._

"Not that I'm not tickled furry that Quil is presently in some sort of pain, but why is he hollering?"

Paul gave a wicked little laugh before hedging around a direct answer. "Quil's fine," _damn_ "he'll still be in one piece when you get here." _Double-damn._ "No worries, Chief, I'll keep your imprint's name clean. Over and out." Click.

Sighing, I set the phone down and ordered my snack. It would be nice if the pack wasn't always a bunch of smart-asses. Speeding up a little, I rushed back to the Villa to change so I could not only see my girl and make sure she was still in one piece, but hopefully so I could also bear witness to Quil's discomfort. Whatever it was.

Forty-five minutes later and I was cruising down the boulevard in search of my friends. About a third of a mile in and I spotted Embry, nervously standing out on the sidewalk with the others nowhere to be seen. His anxiety became my own and I struggled to parallel park a fifteen foot long vehicle into a twelve foot spot. It wasn't going to work out and I could have cared less. That's what I paid the damn insurance for anyways. Embry obviously didn't share my views and casually he strolled over and gave a shove to the car parked directly ahead.

"Embry," I called out as I climbed out of the truck in little less than a dead-run. "What's wrong? Where are the girls, Paul and Quil?"

"Relax, Jake. They're in the store behind us."

Not even bothering to read the name of the store, I strolled quickly to the entrance. Just as my hand touched the door, Embry pulled me back.

"Jake, they're fine, but you need to pay the meter or your truck will get a ticket." Embry still looked nervous, but not in a surprise attack sort of way. Out of all of them, he certainly wouldn't joke about danger or brush it off. As I looked over my shoulder, towards the road, I spotted Fate clinging to a city cop and pointing to my car.

Reaching into my front pocket, I pulled out some quarters to feed the hungry little machine. As a courtesy, I gave Embry some change to renew the other car's parking meter as well. Technically, I was using more than one spot, so it was only fair. Going back to where I knew Bella was, I flung open the door and stepped inside to a…

My mind knew what this place was, but my brain refused to allow me speech. There were eight, pleather covered chairs in an ugly shade of orange. The linoleum was an atrocious, black and white, checkered pattern and there wasn't an inch of wall not plastered with designs. Most were hand-drawn while the remainder were actual 3x5 photos. Three of the chairs were presently occupied with Paul, Claire, and Rachel with Sara standing over her and whispering. I could hear Bella and smell her presence, but I sure as hell couldn't see her. Or Quil.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Some roughed-up, lanky guy asked me as I followed my senses towards Bella. If she had been coerced into this, Quil was a dead wolf. Paul and Embry would follow shortly, after we made it back to La Push. I still needed some body guards for tomorrow.

"Relax, man. He's with us and is just anxious to find his girl," Paul called out.

"Oh, Miss Kitten?" Lanky asked Paul, who grinned and nodded while Fate stood off to my side, holding the internal organs that had surreally just left my body.

"Miss K..kkk..itten," I stuttered at Paul, coming to a complete standstill. Embry bumped into my back and reached his hands out to grab my shoulders. I thought it was to steady himself until Sara walked over to me.

"I can't wait to see, Jake. I really didn't think she'd go through with it. But when Quil started crying like a baby, she went back there to calm him down and I guess he convinced her or something."

"Why the hell did my imprint," I started to yell before realizing I had an audience. Lowering my voice, I tried again. "Why the hell is my imprint back there with the big baby when his imprint is out here?" I asked, pointing to Claire.

"Because we all thought it was funny as hell, listening to him cry like that; Claire too. Bella was the only one who felt any type of pity for him and went back there to...to..." snorting in laughter, Sara wiped away a few tears before trying again. "Went back there to hold his hand. Steve, the guy doing the procedure, said he wouldn't work on Quil if he couldn't calm down. Bella went back to comfort him. Whatever she said or did must have worked cause I haven't heard either one of them yell since then. Quil has quite a grip when he's being a wuss."

"Geez, Sara," Embry admonished gently, stepping around to stand between us. "I don't think Quil would really hurt Bella, even if it was accidental. Please don't scare Jake like that."

_Too late…_

"Jake, look what I got," Rachel beckoned, trying to gain my attention.

The suspense and fear was too much for me. Without another glance at my sister, or soon-to-be dead friends, I pushed through the saloon doors in the back of the store to find Bella. Fate just sighed in bliss.


	28. Mergers & Fatecquisitions

A/N: Hmmm, not sure if you guys know but the last chapter was new too. You might want to go back and read it, if you haven't done so yet. :)

Kudos to my beta: blueboarderchick.

Mergers and Fatecquisitions

* * *

I wasn't mad that Bella might have done something. However, Sara herself had basically said that Bella only agreed because of Quil's persistence. Something like this wouldn't be an easy fix if a few months from now, Bella realized it had been a mistake.

No one in the front room said a word as I pushed the doors open to find my imprint and the trouble maker. I could still hear Rachel give out an impatient sigh of annoyance and Paul get up to comfort her as I ignored them both. Claire and Sara were still giggling about wuss-man Quil.

The doors swung outwards only to encounter a barrier. Quil had shot up and was standing right before me, blocking entrance to the room.

"Hey, dude. Glad you could make it. How was your meeting?" He asked way too fucking jovial and concerned.

"Get out of my way, Quil. I need to see Bella." Taking another step forward, I was standing less than an inch in front of him. Normal protocol dictated he should step aside. Instead we began a game of crane and block. Every time I moved my head in a different direction to see around him, Quil mimicked me.

"Hey, don't worry." _lean left, up, right_ "You'll see her in just a second." _down, over, partial fake_ "I wanted to show you something," Quil said excitedly, still matching me move for move.

"Quil, there is nothing other than Bella than I want to see-" I stopped ranting and miming as it occurred to me that Quil was not only shirtless, his shorts weren't zipped up and there was dried blood along one of his leg inseams.

Since I had stopped trying to dodge him, he had stopped moving as well. Smirking, he realized what I was staring at and took a step back. Fate had its mouth hanging wide open, staring also.

"What do you think?" Quil asked, taking another step back, my eyes still locked on the rust-colored stain and a million thought racing through my mind: _Wolves don't bleed like that. It has to be his blood, though. It_ _smells just like him. I don't smell another scent. Could it be a combination and there's just more of his and not the victim?_

"I'm thinking that Paul or Embry better have punched you hard enough in the back to make your kidney bleed. Otherwise, there is no valid excuse for the blood," I answered flatly, not the least bit concerned he might be hemorrhaging.

"Oh that. Yeah, that was just a mistake. I couldn't go through with it. This on the other hand…" with his left hand, Quil proudly pointed to his chest.

"I don't…Oh my god, Quil! You didn't?" Looking around to see if anyone else had heard me, I lowered my voice, just in case. "Do you realize what's going to happen when you have to change?"

"Relax, dude. It's fine."

"Quil, it is not fine! I don't care how many damn movies you've watched, we are not affected by silver. You will be stuck with that until the next time you shift. Then it's going to pop right off of your nipple."

"No, it won't. See, this isn't silver or even an alloy of it. This," he said, flicking the bar then flinching, "Is pure iron."

"Which means nothing, you dick! You sliced your hand on that scrap metal once and it still healed," I impatiently spat.

"Fuck yeah, it did and I'm glad of that. Can you imagine if I had a gimpy hand? That's not the point, though. We can heal from damage caused by anything and if the bar was silver, my skin would close around it. But not lead."

"Seriously, Quil, do you even know what you're talking about?" I groaned, wondering why I even tried to explain. Quil's nipples were not a topic an Alpha should ever be forced into discussing. Fate scowled, realizing it couldn't be added to the handbook.

"Listen. Paul mentioned a little something-something about your talk with Bella last night," he continued, too excited to see my temper flare again as my gaze dropped back to his pants.

"Quil, you better not have tried to 'show' Bella anything, especially if it has to do with wolves and mating." I was shaking, desperately clinging to the hope that Quil had kept his paws to himself.

"No, Jake, that's kinda gross. Why would I want to have sex with Cupcake? I mean, sure, I'd be more than happy to demonstrate for her with Claire but definitely not 'on' Cupcake."

"Your point?" I asked through gritted teeth causing Quil to snicker and lightly rub the pointed ends of his bar. The smirk faded as I failed to join in his humor and he finally sighed.

"I'm getting to that. Anyways, I was talking science shit with your girl and she made a comment about cell midas." I held up my hand for Quil to shut-up for a minute so I could translate what the hell he was saying.

The word 'midas' made me think of wizards, warlocks and a possible imposter known as Vatan and his furry fairy-ness. In looks, he looked more like a troll but the meaning was the same as far as I was concerned. However Quil and mentioned science which meant Bella's expertise and not any mythological mayhem she might be carting around.

Finally I just threw a term out there. "Cellular mitosis?" I asked, trying really hard not to remember last night's attempt of cellular meiosis with Bella. It had been a lot of fun at the end before I realized the condom disintegrated. I had to remember to buy a different brand. Fate galloped over on a horse.

"Yeah, that shit." Quil assented, bringing me back to the present. "I was telling her how fucking cool it would be to get pierced or even inked. But our bodies would just swallow that shit up and blow it back out. In a normal person, though, their bodies just go around it and not on to it. Except for lead. Somehow whatever it's made of, the cells stop growing completely and it works for us too! Ta-da!" With a flourish, he half bowed.

I was far from impressed. There were no werewolf facts to attest to Quil's idea and the reprucussions sucked either way. If it was true, that just meant we now had two ways to die tragically: leech venom and lead. If it wasn't true, Quil would be a whiny bitch for the rest of our lives because he only had one nipple.

"Congratulations, Quil. You've just figured out how to give yourself a permanent hole by somehow involving my mate. You've also just given me the knowledge of how to painfully kill you. Now step your ass aside, so I can talk to Bella." With a hard shove, I pushed him to the side and approached her, tired of Quilisms.

"You're welcome, Alpha ass," Quil muttered as I flipped him off.

"Jake," Bella finally greeted me, crawling out of the only chair back here while wearily eyeing Quil's posture of poutiness and my struggling patience. I don't know if she heard the conversation between Quantum Quil and me but for whatever reason, she had remained seated until now. Fate poured me a new dose of dread.

"Hi, honey," I breathed, seeking out any scents of bodily harm she may have encountered. If we wanted to, a wolf was capable of searching out a blood trail from a couple of miles away. In a building this small, Bella's would have sent off an alarm in me. Nothing was noticeable -odor wise- but I could still make out a distinct bandage shape under her shirt as I engulfed her in a hug.

We stood there entangled as one, while I eyed her back. As a human, most would've missed it, but then again, most humans weren't taught to seek out something as simple as bent grass blades. The white material was thin and compared to her skin tone, the bandage all but screamed 'secret'.

"Did you have fun?" I inquired, my arms refusing to release her. It took everything I had not to lift her shirt and see what was hidden.

"Yes, I did," she mumbled into my chest before pulling back. "L.A. has a lot of interesting things to see. Tomorrow, we're going to visit the Le Brea tar pits."

"Uh huh, tar pits. Sounds like fun," I agreed, ignoring Fate wrangling with a wooly mammoth while all thoughts circled around the length and width of her band-aid_. Three inches long, about two wide…what could it be? And oh shit! Did she get a piercing like Quil?_

"Did you see what Rachel got?" She asked, pulling on my hand to lead me back into the front. "She had Paul draw out a majestic wolf and then got a tattoo of it on her shoulder blade."

My eyes stayed glued to her back and gait. She was walking normal but what the hell did I know? Quil wasn't limping. Fate poked me with a tusk, reminding me of what Bella had just said. "Wait, what? My sister got a tattoo?" Looking around, I realized that Bella had led me out of the parlor, casually strolling down the sidewalk.

"Yep, Claire too. Although, Claire's wolf looks more like an Ewoke than a wolf and has this funny pink curler in its scruff. Quil said his feelings were kind of hurt. He kept hoping she'd get a Sponge Bob picture. Everyone seemed to think it was really funny, but when I asked, no one would tell me why. Do you know?"

"Probably because Quil's nickname used to be crusty," I carelessly muttered before slapping my hand over my mouth.

_Shit! Tell me I didn't just say that to my imprint?_

"That's a little…odd," Bella stated hesitantly. "Was it really? How did he get that type of name?"

"It was from high school and maybe I could tell you later?" I asked, hoping that she'd forget and I'd never have to explain how 'crusty' was the nicer version as to what his nickname actually had been.

Quil had been fascinated with his dick since he was old enough to know what it was. In seventh grade, after he'd had his first wet-dream, he came to school and wrote all about it in his "What I did on my summer vacation" essay. He was suspended for three days after volunteering to read it out loud for the class. The only saving grace to the whole debacle was that seconds after Quil had read the title 'Crusty, my trusty cum-rag' the teacher had decided no one should ever speak again in his class and the rest of us were saved from sharing our mundane vacations. Who could have lived up to that?

"Okay," Bella agreed, failing to notice my wandering thoughts. "How was your meeting?" She stopped walking to look into the display window of a tourist shop.

"Boring. I would have much rather spent the day with you and that hot little bikini you wore," I answered. Casting a glance, I saw the rest of my brood trailing behind us. Paul caught my look and made eating motions with his hand which Bella saw.

"Well let's go eat and if you're lucky, I'll wear the new one Sara convinced me to buy today," Bella promised suggestively. Suddenly I was hungry for more than just dinner and happily I agreed.

For dinner, Bella chose a normal place that sold pound-sized hamburgers and was set up like a 1950's diner. There wasn't anything overtly special about the restuarant, although Quil did mention to Bella that they sold peanut butter flavored ice-cream and would she like a side of it for her burger. After a lull in conversation about the weirdest things seen so far on the trip –Vatan's eating habits—I finally got enough nerve to ask about the bandage. Fate let me sweat it out for a bit, as everyone stopped talking to stare while Bella blushed. She finally admitted that she was going to get a tattoo of Van. The fact that it would be on her back, and no one would really be able to see it, changed her mind and the bandage was only covering the outline until she could wash it off since she was wearing a thin white shirt.

When Bella turned her attention back to something Rachel was saying, I made my threats to Quil. Assuming his nipple didn't pop off, I was going to attach wax stripes to his hide the next time he phased. When he changed back to human, the fur would rip off rather than recede. It wasn't much, but it'd be a start.

88888888

TGIF had to be the sweetest words I had heard in a long time. The meeting would be over today, we could fly back to Washington and by Monday, Bella would officially be living with me on the reservation. The day got even better. At eleven thirty, the meeting wrapped up and every division had a green light to go. I wanted to be mad at Chris since my presence hadn't really been needed at all. Somewhere around ten, I had briefly explained the concept behind my prototype and few had anything to dispute about it.

Chris was just saying good-bye when David Gothall walked over to where we were standing.

"Jacob Black, I'm excited to have you join in on this project," he gushed, reaching out to shake my hand.

"I'm honored, Sir," I replied in kind, grasping his hand. Despite my peon title here, David clinched my hand tightly in a silent battle of 'who's manlier'. Not wanting to be a dick to the man who was about to pay me a fortunate, I only squeezed with a tenth of my strength; watching the realization dawn across his face that not only did I have muscle, but I also knew how to use it.

Quickly releasing, David began speaking about certain requirements the team needed to make this a success. My phone began to buzz and I tried to pay attention to David while also seeing who was calling. The I.D. said Paul.

"That sounds great, Mr. Gothall. Would you excuse me for a minute? I need to take this." David smiled and continued rambling to Chris while I stepped away to answer.

"Hello," I answered curtly, praying this wasn't one of the guy's usual obscene calls. Fate helped me out with that.

"Fuck, Jake, we got trouble!" Paul growled into the phone. "Embry was going to get something from the car for Sara when he smelled them."

"Around the vehicle?" I asked, confused as to what might be going on. It was ninety degrees outside and a cloud hadn't been visible for days. Any vamp in the area wouldn't be able to conceal themselves properly without looking like terrorist, draped head to toe clothing.

"No, he didn't even make it outside. He picked up their scent in the lobby. They're somewhere here in the resort."

"Where are the girls?" I asked worriedly, looking for a wall to support myself against.

"We have them outside right now, at the beach," Paul explained. Fate jumped out with an inflatable rubber ducky raft. The scary part was that the damn duck had teeth!

"Why are you still there? Get in the car and leave!" I demanded to Paul who just tsked.

"And go where, Jake? They might be dumb as shit, but no vamp is gonna waltz out onto a beach in broad daylight and take someone."

"So what, you're going to wait 'til evening when they can just grab a snack and go?" I asked, trying to ward off Fate's helping hand.

"No. Embry went back to the suite to pack. Once he has all the shit together and a change of clothes for all of us, we'll leave and then someone can come back to get the suitcases since there isn't enough room. Bella still wants to go to that tar pit park and its outside so we'll wait for you there."

"If you have a plan, why are you calling me from the Villa? Shouldn't you already be on your way?" I asked, glancing around for Chris and David. They were still talking animatedly, not paying me a bit of attention.

"Bella doesn't want to go." He said it slowly and mean. As if I could control the situation from here.

"You just said she still wanted to see the tar pits. What the hell is the problem? Fuck, Paul, take her wherever she wants to go as long as it's nowhere near a leech."

"She's flipping out a little bit," Paul groused. It must have been an Alpha trait; when a pack mate used a certain tone, my anger came online full force.

"You fucking told her? How could you be so careless; of course she's gonna flip out. You could have at least had enough common sense not to mention why you guys were leaving until after the fact."

"Yeah, well, you're the one who got the brainiac imprint. She figured it out not two steps onto the beach and Quil had to carry her out to where Rachel set up a blanket for them to lie on. Once she told the others what was really happening, everyone was a little freaked."

"Let me talk to her."

"Are you nuts? She's gonna pull out the imprint card and then we'll all end up dead. No, what I need you to do is tell me how we can wrangle that damn cat into its box. Bella said we can go wherever we want and she'll come along too, but only if squishy-face is with us. We can't risk her going inside and both Embry and I have tried to get him. He's like a fucking extendable. I almost had him in when he somehow stretched out his body and legs and refused to budge. He also tore up my Nickleback tour shirt to shreds in the process."

"There is only one solution here-" I tried to explain without shouting. I could see Chris and David wrapping up their conversation and both would expect me to say good-bye. Paul didn't want to hear it

"And princess already said Fuck No. She's not going to leave here without that hideous pet of hers."

"Paul, just listen," I tried again, rolling my eyes. There was no way Bella had used the word 'fuck'. "I'm not asking you to leave without Vatan. You take Quil's spot on the beach and have him go get the cat. Vatan will follow him anywhere and actually like it."

Paul just scoffed. "Yeah, but Quil won't like it and neither will princess."

"Bell-a," I said slowly, enunciating her name, "may not like it, but she will understand Quil is the only option available to us at the moment. As for Quil, his fucking furry ass better do it the moment you tell him to! This isn't the time to be fucking around; people's lives are on the line. He can be in and out in less than two minutes then all of you can go to the park. I'll meet you there. Have Embry put the suitcases in the lobby and ask a staff member to transport them to the airport. We are leaving tonight."

"Alright, Big A, but when this plan fails, it's your ass."

Sighing, I pocketed my phone ad got ready to bolt out of there. Leave it to Fate to trip me up.

"Jake," David called, waving for me to join him and Chris. "As I was saying, we are all very excited to have you on board for this. Would you be so kinda as to spare me a few more moments of your time? There are just a few details we should probably cover before you leave."

Damn it! At any point in time, David could have spoken to me, but he chose now? I couldn't afford to stay here and shoot the shit about press appearances and charity balls, both of which I had no doubt were on his mind as a way to lure in the next future share-holders.

"I, uhh, I kind of need to leave. Family emergency," I explained, trying to inch my way closer to the door.

"Oh, well, of course. Families always come first. However, there is a client you must meet and he's only in town for the day." With a pointed look, David took a step closer to me. "This client is presently thirty-four percent invested."

My tongue nearly fell out of my mouth. If David wasn't exaggerating then this unknown client easily held the favor on who stayed and who left the team. To say "no" would not only end me here, but probably anywhere else as a designer.

"My family will be okay for a little bit longer without my presence. I'd be happy to meet them," I lied. _Please, oh please let it be some ninety-five year old man with one foot in the grave._

"Excellent," David all but cheered before turning to Chris. "I assume you'll be here throughout the weekend?"

"Where else would I be?" Chris joked. "I have that Senators dinner to attend tomorrow evening."

"Perfect. I'll find you tomorrow and we can plan our golf game. Have a good day," David stated, effectively dismissing Chris. With a small smile and shrug, Chris left.

_Shit! Why wasn't I that lucky?_

"Come, Jacob, let's head up to my office where we can be more comfortable. These board rooms can be so stuffy."

Trailing behind at a brisk pace, I fervidly prayed this would be a short meeting and not a three hour gossip and whiskey drinking affair. By the time we got to his office, I had surmised the quickest way to get through this without losing my temper. Fate threw those plans out the window for me as soon as the office door had closed.

"I understand you've participated in other projects similar to this in the past?" David inquired as he made his way to the other side of a desk. The damn thing could have easily sat twelve werewolves with elbow room to spare.

"A few, but none as grand as this," I answered as I sank into one of the leather chairs David gestured to. He took his time as he also sat down, crossing and uncrossing his legs and I kept looking around, waiting for this mysterious client to appear.

"Relax, Mr. Black," David requested, sensing my apprehension. "I apologize for my ruse, but the fewer who know of this, the happier we all can be."

"And the client?"

"Part of my fib. There really is an investor that heavily involved with our plans, but he is not presently here. Perhaps at the party you'll get to meet him."

"Sure, okay," I hedged, not caring either way. "What else was on your mind then?"

"You are aware of the confidentiality clauses that we insist upon?"

Surprised by this topic, I stared straight into his eyes as I answered. "Very much so, Mr. Gothall. To be, or do anything less would end my career. I have no intentions of selling out, if that's what you mean."

"Sort of, Mr. Black," David hinted. "I've studied your plans extensively and even brought in some other engineers to bounce a few ideas."

The moment the words left his mouth, I didn't know if I was more angered or shocked. Any blueprints would have been patented and Mr. Gothall would find himself hard-pressed to explain using my design with another engineneer's name attached. I was still somewhat of a small fish though and had to tread carefully. "Were you not satisfied with the intended project? I can assure you, I am more than capable of producing several models for you and even giving a brief lecture to those who will be operating the finished project."

"I believe you, Mr. Black and have no doubts as to your ability to succeed without failure. Tell me, would you be willing to change a few things?"

"I…don't understand. If I were to change anything, you will be left with an engine unable to achieve its desired performance. Am I mistaken or were you not intending to reach Mars with this?"

"No, it's going to Mars. The problem is, with your present set-up, it won't be able to get back," he replied, his words causing me to lean back in shock.

"You're aware of the rocket capabilities. Once it has left, the majority of the fuel source has been used leaving enough to attain a respectable speed and navigate any of the gravitational fields on approach to Mars. In order to leave the planet, you would have to not only double the cargo of fuel but have a couple of people on board to prepare the launch. What am I missing?"

"If given a different fuel source, could you reconfigure the project to accommodate a plutonium core?"

"What? You're talking about heavy modifications; to the point of starting over completely," I sputtered, wondering why none of this had been mentioned sometime in the past three days. "Not to mention that the government will not allow a nuclear engine based on past launch failures. The critical period of launch is within the first three minutes. There is no way NASA will allow that."

"Correct, Mr. Black," David agreed without a care in the world. "As you are aware, NASA lacks the proper funding to continue space exploration on its own. While they retain the name, most of the money and ideas come from private investors who cross the red-tape and bend some rules. But you strike me as the type of fellow who would prefer the plausible deniability option." He paused studying the desk top before returning my gaze. "I'm happy to answer your questions, if you wish, but perhaps this would go smoother if we just stuck to you answering mine?" Quietly, he reached down to retrieve a cylindrical tube, obviously containing what he really wanted.

Taking the case, I opened it slowly to reveal a set of plans, easily recognizing the majority of my own work twisted to fit Mr. Gothall's needs. Someone had been a very busy bee and I had seconds to decide how to proceed. If I put up a fuss, the project would go on anyways and I'd be left out of the glory. Whatever the team was doing to get this project off the ground really wasn't any concern of mine.

"Yes," I finally answered, meaning more than just the reconfiguration question. "With specific modifications, I can readjust the project. I'm assuming I should do so immediately and build the prototypes to handle it. Of course, I have no intention of actually testing it and my contract will waive off any liabilities that could feasibly occur."

"Of course, Mr. Black, I have them right here." Opening his desk drawer, David removed a heavy file and slide it across his desk to me. Without even opening the folder, I picked it up and shoved into my attaché, grabbing the new plans too before standing up.

"Thank you again, Mr. Gothall. I'll browse through the file this weekend and have the new contract signed and sent over by the end of the week."

"Thank you, as well, Mr. Black. Chris was telling me earlier you had company with you on this trip. She must be quite the catch."

"Yes, she is," I answered, my hand on the door. I was ready to run to the other side of L.A. to make sure my imprint was safe. Nowhere did this plan include shooting the shit with this man.

"Would I know of her family?"

"I don't think so. She is a talented veterinarian and her family is of no importance in the business world," I offered. Her family really wasn't important at all but that would've seemed a little crass to admit. Pulling open the door, I stepped out with a final glance over my shoulder. "Good day, Mr. Gothall."

"Same to you, Mr. Black," he replied as I shut the door.

Walking as fast as I could without raising suspicion, I made it to the stairwell. With the office being located on the 34th floor, I figured I could run as fast as I wanted to and no one would notice. _Thank god for lazy, overweight American society._

I made it to the ground floor without incident and nearly vaulted my way across the parking garage. I had left the windows open to help rid the vehicle of Quil's stench but refrained from diving through one. Fate buckled up into the seat next to me as I peeled out of the garage and onto the closest road. Dialing Paul, I honked and cursed the noon rush hour traffic as the phone rang and rang.

Cursing, I threw it to the floor board, ignoring Fate who was tugging on my arm. Stomping on the gas, I swerved past a blue-haired old lady, driving fifteen under the speed limit in a Kia.

"Jake?" A voice questioned from behind me. Completely surprised, I slammed on the brakes, my body rising a few inches up in the air before crashing back into the seat. I turned around, staring in horror at the passenger I had somehow acquired, but missed entirely. Fate simply mumbled "I told you so."


	29. Ode to Fate

A brief interlude for the holidays.

* * *

T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the cabin,

Not a werewolf was stirring, not even a lappin'.

The stockings were hung, by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Seth would wash them on a dare.

The wolf boys were nestled, all snug in their beds

While visions of sugar chicks, suck [content has been removed due to teenager's graphic dreams]

And Bells in her teddy, and I in my thong,

Had just settled down, so she could play with my schlong.

When out on the lawn, there arose such a *pow*;

I sprang from the bed to see what the fuck now!

Away to the window, I flew like a bolt,

Tore open the shutters and cussed like a dolt.

The shredded curtains floated to the floor with a flutter.

While I realized too late, that we didn't have any shutters.

When what to my battered ego should appear,

But a tricked out punk-ass with eight tiny…reindeer?

With a well sculpted body and a tank that read 'Kill',

I knew too fucking late that it must be Quil.

More 'special' than short-buses, his curses they came.

While whistling and shouting and calling in vain:

"Now, Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer, you vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! Doh! Not Donder, you, Blitzen."

"To the top of the roof, Wait…what? Get off of me!

No, Dasher, away! Dasher, away! Aww, Dasher, don't be so damn gay!"

His movements were jerky; almost too shrewd.

He jumped on the roof and the reindeer? WOW, lewd!

Snickered and grinning, they trotted above.

Hoot after hoot in acts of… eww, love.

I ran to the chimney, to torch the bitch up.

With a match in my hand, Quil appeared with "S'up?"

My time had run out, to prevent this debacle.

Leaving me gaping, certain I'd heard shackles.

He was dressed all in silk, from his head to his heel.

So fucking sleazy; what the hell was his deal?

A bundle of toys, he had flung on his back,  
and he looked like a peddler, flushed from the crack.

His eyes - how they twitched! His dimples how dreary!  
His cheeks were all hollowed; Man, I was leery!

The stump of a twig, he held tight in his teeth,  
and the leaves they encircled his head like a sheath.

He spit like an arrow and I ducked for my life.

Fate had to be giggling, to give me such strife.

The twig launched forward, to embed in the floor;

Quil shook his head languidly, muttering something like "whore".

A wink of his good eye and a jerk of his head,  
Soon gave me to know, I had everything to dread.

He spoke not again, going on with his motions,  
caressing the stockings before filling them with lotions.

Pasties and gags, blindfolds and hand-cuffs,

Beads and devices; where did he get all this stuff?

Not stopping there, he continued his charade.

My gut sinking lower; Fuck if I'd play masquerade!

Bella had missed me and calling softly by name,

She came to a standstill, Quil still in his game.

Her eyes widened in wonder; her cheeks all aflame.

Quil turned on his heel, enjoying our shame.

Not a sound could be heard, as he gave up his cargo.

Mentally, I swore; his ass better hide in Fargo.

Finally he finished, and with a pat to my cheek,

He sauntered away, Bella still refusing to peek.

I rushed to the window, Charlie's Winchester in hand;

Giving Quil just a moment, before I really took a stand.

With a crack of the whip and bump from his hips,

Quil flew off with roof, with his collection of 'ships'.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"That shit's for you Jake, you keep it too tight!"

* * *

A/N: Please Note! You don't have to read this; as a free-willed being you are free to skip reading my author's notes. Shocking, I know, but apparently there was a past dispute with a few previous A/N's I had written.

I do still have my Xmas-one-shot that I will be updating either late Xmas eve or Xmas day. *snicker* It'll be a rough ride, kinda like my one-shot "Madness has No Method". Don't worry about the wolf it states as a main character; the story is just for S&G's. :D

I hope all of you have a Merry [insert holiday celebrated] and a Happy New Year!


	30. TransFate Ya!

At least fifteen people felt the need to blare their horns and scream obscenities in my general direction since due to my sudden application of brakes, they had to heed as well. Fuck 'em. This was California, they should be used to sudden stops in Friday traffic. My adrenaline only slightly receded before the implication of who was in my car and what it could mean, hit me.

"What the fuck are you doing in my goddamn car?"

"You don't understand; I didn't have a choice," Embry muttered, rubbing his face where it had smashed into the back of the front seat.

Some asshole in a Bentley in the lane next to mine, began to mouth-off in my general direction while shaking his fist as he passed by. Deciding to use my anger to my advantage, I stepped on the gas to catch up. I ignored the loud thud of Embry's head hitting his seat as he was again thrown by the movement. Rolling down the Hummer's window as I sped by, I glared at the Bentley jerk and spit out the window. It may have been a little tacky, but Fate was cheering me on and I felt slightly better. Slightly.

"Where is everyone else and why aren't you helping them protect my mate?" I growled.

"I had to run a diversion so the rest could get away," Embry continued. He waited a few seconds to see how much the longer my game of road-rage would continue before climbing over the seat. If I hadn't been able to smell him, I would have pegged him as drunk. Giant Native Americans could not seat-dive with any style and I slightly ducked as he tried to pull his legs over without beaming me in the head. Once Embry was situated, he buckled his seat-belt before resuming his reasoning. "Those damn leeches caused a scene and then attempted to follow us through the city. I figured it was better to do this than lead them directly to where Bella was."

Turning my attention back to traffic, I glanced at him while accelerating just a little bit more. Fate took the honors and stuck its head out of the window to scream like a siren. The only thing it did was increase my new-found headache. "You're right, you're right. So tell me from the beginning what happened."

"Quil went to go get Bella's pet. I went with him to stash our bags at the front desk and they're going to send them over to the airport for us. Uhh, Rachel was able to book us a flight home, leaving at six, but it cost a small fortune." Waving my hand at the notion of price, I urged him to continue.

"I was waiting for him to get back; Paul had the girls loaded up, waiting right outside the door. Before Quil got there, a leech appeared as well, wrapped up in clothing like a damn mummy. As soon as Quil stepped into the lobby, hand-carrying Van and dragging that stupid stroller, the vamp freaked. She accused Quil of pet-snatching. The personnel looked confused and didn't know how to respond to her."

"Why? We checked in with that furry pus-bucket; there's no reason any one could have doubted who it belonged too. And why did Quil go back into the lobby and not just jump in the car to begin with?"

"Well, I think Quil was hoping the staff would accept the cat like luggage," Embry hedged, sinking lower into the seat.

"What? I told that Paul that the cat was to go with you guys. He knew Bella wouldn't leave without the loofah-" I stopped mid-insult. That particular visual, Bella rubbing herself with Vatan, had me choking back a gag. "The bottom-line is, who fucked up my orders?"

"Jake, it wasn't like that, okay? We were all a little frazzled and I think Quil forgot," Embry explained.

"Forgot, my ass!" I seethed. "He did that shit on purpose."

Embry ignored my rant, knowing he wouldn't be able to dissuade my thoughts. "It went from bad to worse. The cat, who had been purring in Quil's arms, began to howl and scream trying to get away. Suddenly, another vamp appeared, making the same accusations about the cat being theirs. That stupid creature lovingly tried to jump into his arms but Quil wouldn't let go. He mouthed off to the vamps then ran for the door. Paul already had the girls secured and we took off, but somehow the vamps managed to follow us. Somewhere around six or seven miles from here, I jumped out of the car so they couldn't follow anymore."

"How did that go?"

"I'd say damn well since they've been following me for about twenty minutes. I lost them by running the wrong direction up a one way street. A few more miles at a healthy pace and I picked up your scent where it led me to the parking garage."

"Shit! That means they could still be following as well," I yelled, trying to look out every window at once.

"I don't think so, Jake." Embry seemed a little nervous and I valiantly ignored Fate for the reasoning. "They were driving a fancy black Mercedes and I haven't seen it yet."

"Really?" I asked sarcastically, wanting nothing more than to cuff Embry across the side of the head. "How about that one?" I asked, pointing to a car two lanes over. "Or maybe that one, on the exit ramp over there? Or maybe any of the twelve other black Mercedes we've passed in the last two minutes?" Reasoning left me again as Fate grabbed my hand to give Embry an unfriendly slap. He saw it coming though and lurched to the side, effectively smacking his own head against the window.

"Jake, I don't know. Does it matter?" he asked, once again rubbing his face. "It's not like they can get out of the car to attack us. We just won't stop as long as a black car is around, okay?"

"No, you're right." _Breathe in…exhale._ "The car is the least of my worries," I agreed, taking an exit that mentioned the tar-pits. "You may not have smelled them earlier at the hotel, but there's no telling how many are in their group. What if others were left behind to obtain information? We have to find a different airport now, LAX may not be safe."

"Well…we could always hire a private jet. I'm sure there are a ton of little airports around here."

"Yeah, I guess we can do that. Rach is going to be whining about her luggage though. Let's just get to the park and rearrange the riding order." I felt slightly better and a small smile began to form on my face, knowing that Bella was safe and I'd see her in a few minutes. Fate licked a napkin to rub it right off.

"Uh, Jake, we still have a little problem," Embry admitted before opening up his fist to reveal what could only be a door handle. Fate won another round as I unclicked his seatbelt before slamming on the brakes again. I might as well go for broke with the damage and dashboard facial imprint of Embry seemed like my best bet.

8888

Of course, parking near the tar-pits meant another dark parking garage. Since I had no intention of staying very long, I pulled over and let Embry take the wheel. I'd go find our group and then call for him to swing back by and do a vehicle-switch with the not so subtle threat of making sure no more door handles disappeared. Whether it was from fear of saying the wrong thing or Embry's semi-bitten off tongue from the car stopping, he just nodded a few times before cautiously driving away.

Spotting the lime colored stroller was easier than following a scent, not that it wasn't just as apparent also. They made up an odd looking group: Bella pushing the stroller with Paul at her side while Claire, Sara and Rachel trailed behind them with Quil a few paces further behind still.

Since they weren't actually in the building but still outside on the grounds, I didn't have to buy a ticket and hurried over to catch them standing by a tall, chain-linked fence. With the exception of Bella, none of the girls seemed overly interested in the fiberglass model of a wooly mammoth attempting to cheat death. Fate strolled over to have a few words. Quil was amusing himself by throwing french-fries near the edge of the tar, watching to see how far out the squirrels would venture to grab one.

"Quil," I snapped, watching a furry critter come close to getting stuck. _If only it was Vatan_. "Stop dicking around!" The moment I had spoken, Bella turned to me reaching out for a hug. One of her hands was still attached to the stroller, the rest of her waiting to wrap around me. Avoiding the arm connecting the demon to us, I embraced her tightly before addressing the rest of the group.

"Is everyone okay? Any sign of them nearby?"

"No, no unusual sights or scents," Paul answered while Claire snickered, pointing out Quil. He was nonchalantly still tossing fries over his shoulder near the bubbling goo. Tiny clouds of methane vapors glittered from the tar spots and the smell was not only unpleasant but a lot like Quil. In more ways than one. Unobtrusively, Fate manifested a gas mask to put on.

"Yeah, well, Quil doesn't count. He's always unusual," I muttered while breathing through my mouth. I wanted to talk to Bella privately, but I need to confirm our group was still somewhat safe from an immediate threat and we could seek out an airport. Leaning down, I placed a kiss to the top of her head before continuing. "Where are you guys parked?"

"The parking garage," Sara yawned out, unconcerned about our predicament. I felt the need to say something to her about it but didn't. Bella was still wrapped around me like a snuggie and telling Sara she should act more panicky sounded stupid, even mentally.

"Quil," I instructed, leaning over to grab the box of fries from him. "We'll stay here and you go retrieve the vehicle. Once you're actually in it, call me. Paul can let Embry know and we'll coordinate where to stop so we can get in. We'll do this two groups to a car: Me, Bella, Paul and Rachel in the Hummer; Embry, Sara, Quil and Claire in the Lexus. We'll be safer in the vehicles and once we're situated, we'll figure out where to catch a plane from there. Okay?"

Everyone nodded and Quil took off, grumbling about his missing ammo and the joys of a 'Hummer'. Bella still hadn't uttered a word, yet I couldn't miss the fact that in her attempt to meld to me, both of her feet were standing on top of my left shoe. Her right arm was wrapped around my torso while her left stretched out to cling to Vatan's stroller. Feeling like one of those parents whose child clings to their leg as they attempt to move, I led Bella a few feet away from the group to make sure she was okay. The stroller banged along with us and Vatan looked sort of pissed. _Boo-hoo._

"Honey, are you scared?" Reaching out to the stroller, I tried to unlock Bella's fingers from the handle causing her white-knuckled grip locking even more. I gave up, deciding it wasn't worth an accidental finger break and settled on a one-armed embrace while stroking the back of her head in comfort.

"Jake, what's happening?" She mumbled, her face pressed tightly against me. "I thought we were safe in the daytime and then suddenly Paul and Quil are shouting, talking about just leaving poor Van at the hotel so we can leave because we're about to be attacked." Her voice didn't sound hysterical, more of a hesitant chord, leaving me grasping for the correct way to respond. I defaulted to the standard guy-response.

"Shh, it's okay. Nobody was going to leave the fur-ball alone. He's safe and so are you. I don't know where the vampires came from, sweetie. No one was expecting them, but we all got out of there unscathed. As soon as Quil gets the car, we'll leave and fly back home. In less than eight hours, you'll be back in La Push, fully protected by our tribe. I promise."

"No," she stated, matter-of-factly. Finally pulling away from my chest she stared at me, dead-on.

"No?" I parroted, feeling my adrenal glands rear up to engage. "To which part?"

"I want us to go back to Seattle, just for the night. We can stop by a store to get some boxes and I'll spend all night packing. I know we talked about this and I'm ready to move in with you as fast as possible."

Theoretically, vampires were hiding behind sign-posts ready to attack us; my rental was FUBAR'ed; and I had to get four werewolves, four imprints and a hair-ball home without using a major airport, but it felt like fucking Christmas. I knew Bella had agreed to live with me, but her adamancy at it being _now_ was the best news I had ever heard.

"Honey, I think that can easily be accomplished. You don't even have to pack by yourself, all the boys will help," I promised. Quil's call came in at that moment and as I answered, Paul mumblings about his vacation gone bad only made me grin. Soon, very soon, all these nasty vamp problems would just vanish into thin air. Fate forgot to remind me though that unlike teeth, an ignored vamp didn't just disappear.

Rearranging the car seating was identical to a drunken Chinese fire-drill. Embry, in his haste to avoid me, forget to set the brake of the Hummer. Paul attempted to jump inside, only to realize the door he was using didn't have a handle. Quil, who had been helping Bella transfer the monster from his carriage to carry-box, ran to stand in front of the Hummer. While pushing the stroller. Rachel had enough sense to grab Bella before she accidently got hit racing after her fur demon and Sara was laughing hysterically, leaning on Claire's shoulder. I had been checking the Lexus for a roadmap; anything located in the glove-box of the Hummer was inaccessible, possibly from the damage to the dashboard, when I heard Claire mutter something about how "Bella would never want to be her friend now".

After a few more tense moments, we all managed to get into our designated vehicles. Paul had the other group on speaker phone while he searched relentlessly for a small-jet company willing to fly out soon. Rachel pouted about her luggage and Sara chimed in as well, via the phone. Fate looked bored.

"Baby brother, it'll be fine. I already bought our tickets, let's just head to LAX," Rachel cajoled from the back seat.

"Rach, it's not worth it. Whatever crap you had, if it doesn't make it home, I'll let Paul take you shopping for more."

"Jake, it won't be the same." Leaning over the seat, she tried to give me a pleading look. "At least let us stop by and pick up our…Oh my god! What is that?"

Her sudden screech had Paul anxiously looking out the windows. I could hear Quil's voice over the speaker listing off everything that wasn't a threat as we continued to drive. _Real helpful, Quil. Even Fate can tell that the man walking a pet pig isn't a threat._

"What is what?" I demanded, casting a look at Bella who was staring intently at Vatan and only Vatan. Her expression clearly said that whatever _it_ was, she wasn't looking.

"That!" Rachel exclaimed, pointing towards Bella. My cursory glances didn't reveal anything to interest my sister and I wished she'd just fucking using a few nouns so I could keep up.

"Rach, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Jake, how can you miss the huge dented dashboard?" Peering closer over the seat, Rachel sucked in a breath before starting to titter. "Is that…why does that dent look like a face?"

"There may have been a seatbelt malfunction earlier," I mumbled. Bella snapped her head my way and I backtracked, "It's all fixed now, sweetie. Don't worry." The words were unnecessary as Bella did in fact not worry. She went back to studying the demon as he tried to hypnotize her with his pouty little mouth and creepy eyes.

Twenty-eight pictures later, Rachel sat back to call Sara and Claire directly and discuss the pictures she had forwarded. It was loud and annoying as shit, but the longer they cackled over pictures, and the reasoning for an Embry impression, the less time they had to bitch about missing luggage.

For five thousand dollars, I was able to hire a jet out of Long Beach. No one was overly thrilled to get on the rubber-band plane, but I didn't really give them a choice. I called the car-rental place to explain my sudden change of departure planes and they assured me it wasn't a problem to have someone come out to pick up the vehicles. _Wait until they get inside._

The pilot was a young man who obviously thought we were NBA players and asked us no less than ten times what team we played for. We only received mildly strange looks when we declared no luggage except the stroller; Vatan was just an unavoidable eye-sore. All of the wolves managed to crawl inside the plane without risking decapitation or lost limbs. Since the tiny jet only held a maximum of eight passengers—four to a side—I automatically sat across from Bella. Vatan sat in her lap, discouraging any romantic thoughts I may have tried to conjure.

Once we were airborne, Bella began to doze off. For about twenty minutes I was amused, watching as Vatan's cage would wobble across her lap. Before it fell off, Bella would jerk awake and pull it back into a more secure position. On round four, Vatan opened his trap to howl and I decided to intervene by placing his cage on the floor board next to Fate where they both silently hissed and sulked.

The rest of the trip to Seattle was uneventful and within a few hours we were all at Bella's apartment, packing her stuff. Embry ran out to grab us dinner-Mexican- and around midnight we decided to call it a night. I still had my apartment nearby and after a hushed conversation amongst the wolves, it was decided that Embry and the girls would crash there, to return bright and early for Bella's actual move.

Bella never said a word about the arrangement. I don't know if she realized the strategic planning behind it. With Embry safely protecting the other imprints elsewhere, Paul, Quil and I would be near Bella in case trouble showed up. Mentally exhausted, I eagerly climbed into bed with Bella, ignoring the sounds of my pack-mates, arguing over mattress space on the full sized bed they had to share. Sooner or later either Quil's drooling or Paul's elbow jabs would cause one of them to move to the couch. I could care less and eagerly snuggled with my soon-to-be permanent roommate. The other roomie, a disgruntled feline, ran off to guard his room. Or maybe he was making it pretty for Quil. I was too tired to care and drifted off.

It was me but it wasn't. I found myself in my dad's old shed from back home. It felt a little strange; I thought Quil had blown it up our senior year in high school when he mistakenly lit an m-80 and it malfunctioned. Or maybe he had lit it on purpose and it mistakenly malfunctioned. However it had started, the rocket had returned to earth before exploding, conveniently landing in the stash of other m-80's. Of course, that too could have been a simple a misunderstanding, but the rusted propane tank close by, had exploded, thus obliterating my shed…my dad's shed. To this day, I still don't know how we all managed to escape that unscathed.

Before the accident, the place had been my safe-haven. I rebuilt my first car there and had collected a large assortment of tools and supplies. I could see them all lined up, neatly. That too was odd. Usually I just threw everything into huge piles. Turning around, I realized my car was here too. An old VW was perched on top of two ramps; the front half at least. The rear axle was perched on cinder blocks.

I walked over to my trusty workbench, suddenly needing to find a bolt. The table had a cabinet on top where every connection device could be found. Searching amidst the drawers, there weren't any bolts. There also weren't any nuts, screws, washers, nails, staples, brackets…the drawers were empty. I frowned, trying to remember why those components were no longer here when I heard a noise. It was eerie, squeaky and sure as hell didn't belong in my shed. Slowly, I turned around, wondering if Quil was outside, trying to play a joke. He wasn't.

A small furry creature stood in the doorway. I couldn't see its face due to the sun setting behind him, but it looked like a…chipmunk? Squirrel?

Shaking my head, I watched as it lowered itself to the ground before stretching up again. Tentatively it stepped forward.

"Go away, you rodent. I don't have anything for you." I picked up an old magazine and tossed it in the general direction of him. The smack of the paper hitting the concrete floor did nothing to upset the squirrel and he still stood there. _Was he glaring at me? Why does this seem familiar?_

I didn't have time for this nonsense. I needed to find a bolt, no idea why, and Alvin could runaway on his own. He didn't need my help.

Once again, I began sifting through things on the now-cluttered workspace. Piles and piles of magazines, empty chip bags and numerous soda cans were all over the place and I began shoveling them to the floor. By the fourth shove, I stopped to read some of the magazine titles: Women for Wolves; Mushroom Quarterly; Vampire Victrola. I gave up and with one large sweep, sent the remaining periodicals to the floor not understanding the titles or why they should bother me so much. Looking back, I expected to see a semi-clean workspace. Not the case. The empty space that should have been there now held stacks of VHS tapes. With a heavenward sigh, I picked up the first movie: Babylon Squid. Dropping it like a hot pan, the next title came into view: Fury Kittens.

I may have hyperventilated a little as I crossed the shed to grab a shovel. No way was I going to physically touch shit like that! All of this suddenly felt like a Quil nightmare, no doubt those were his movies! With weapon/cleaning device in hand, I returned to the table. To be met with a squirrel. Looking back at the doorway and then towards the table again, I realized he had moved. That was weird, more so than the movie and magazine titles.

"Shoo," I said, waving the shovel at him. I knew squirrels could be somewhat vicious and that they carried rabies. Neither fact should have bothered me, but this fucker had really sharp, pointy teeth that…gleamed. I studied him for a minute, getting an equal appraisal. My grip tightened on the handle of my weapon as I thought about having to use it. I looked around the shed again to make sure this wasn't a trick of Quil's. He was nowhere in sight.

When I focused back on the rodent, my eyes grew wide. There were now five squirrels standing on the work table and every single one of them held a tiny bottle of alcohol. Tiny weeds ascended from the desktop, sprouting fuzzy, yellow tips. I blinked and the five squirrels turned into fifty, each with a jug of Bacardi 151 in their miniscule clawed hands. Focusing was impossible; the only certainty was that their numbers kept growing as more and more fur appeared. Some invisible bell gonged and the area was a furry blanket of rodent hobos on top of a bed of dandelions.

In complete synchronization, every mouth opened to speak in one voice with many mouths. "We want our nuts!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't have your nuts." I made to swing the shovel, but it never connected.

"We want our nuts!" The voice spoke again from the squirrels, their teeth sparkling like tiny Ginsu's. I was officially freaked.

"Get away from me, you rabid heathens. Don't make me get Vatan!" I screamed hysterically, still swinging a shovel that wasn't hitting anything.

"Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!" It/they chanted, moving closer to me as if I could give them what they wanted. Looking over my shoulder, I calculated the odds of making it to the door before they could reach me.

When I focused back on the squirrels, they lunged as a single form, a swarming blanket of death straight for my waist. Dropping the shovel, my arms came down to protect my groin and my eyes shot open as I felt hair. Panting from exhaustion, fear and pleasure, my hands encompassed Bella's head as her lips worked my erection. I began to ask why she was doing it when my orgasm hit and speech was temporarily impossible.

"That was fantastic," I acknowledged lovingly, pulling Bella back up next to me. An errant curl tumbled forward and I hurridley pushed it aside. Something about the movement and color of her hair made me tremble for a second but I couldn't remember why and brushed it off as some weird after-climax response.

She grinned mischievously before yawning. As if nothing had just occurred, she snuggled into me, closing her eyes.

"You know," I hinted, suggestively rubbing her ass. "I'm more than willing to return the favor." Rolling her onto her back, I scooted down to do just that.

"It's okay, Jake. I thought you were a little tense and wanted to help you relax some. Tomorrow night, you can repay the favor."

Mid-lick of her abdomen, I looked up slightly startled. "Why not now?"

"I just…I don't feel comfortable doing that while your friends are here." I must have had a puzzled looked because she hurried to clarify, "You're really good at that and you make me more vocal than I'm comfortable sharing with others."

"You're being silly, honey. Anything we want to do is fine and if the others don't like it, they can just ignore it."

"Jake," she pleaded kind of patting my head, "Tomorrow, at your place we can do all of this and more. Trust me, I'm not turning you down. I just want to be able to fully enjoy it."

"You will," I smirked, crawling back up to the headboard. "But if you really want to wait, we can. I guess tomorrow, I'll just have to pleasure you until you beg me to stop. By Sunday, I'll have worn you out so much, you won't even be able to leave the bed."

"Are you threatening me or challenging me?" Bella asked, giggling.

"Neither. That's a promise." Giving her an elaborate sloppy kiss, I was happy she couldn't hear Paul and Quil whispering in the other room. Vatan had decided that Quil was to be his pillow and Paul was asking if Quil thought I could make Bella purr like the monster.

If he only knew, I thought smugly, drifting back onto a peaceful sleep. Fate apparently knew and that definitely wasn't in their plans.

Everybody had that one thing to rouse them from a dead-sleep: A blaring alarm clock, freshly brewed coffee,…Darth Vatans. The most effective and chaotic way to wake up a werewolf was to bring a vamp nearby. The sudden stench was so overpowering, I almost gagged. Rolling off of the bed, I searched for some shorts, fiercely whispering to Paul and Quil to get the fuck up, we had company. Before so much as a tap could be delivered to the front door, I swung it open to be met with seven of the most primly dressed grim-reapers.

"Hello," a golden-haired male stated. "Is Bella here?"

* * *

AuthorNote AuthorNote AuthorNote AuthorNote AuthorNote AuthorNote

^Just so you know it's not a direct part of the story.

I owe an apology to reader Natty14. I was supposed to update last week but didn't. Sadly, I have no cool or reasonable excuses to give other than I just didn't. Sorry about that. :)

For those who were reading Iniquitous: I had to remove it from fanfic due to the content. Apparently some of us in RL still believe that fictional characters shouldn't be naughty and lustful. Don't worry if you're confused, I'm still trying to grapple with that concept myself. The good news is, the story has a new home at Jacob-Black-n-Pack and EasyAsBreathing, both ning sites. The story is still being worked on and will be updated there. FIOF is nearing the end and once I've completed it, I will devote most of my writing time to Iniquitous. :)

I have added another one-shot, feel free to check it out and comment. I also posted my monstrous Christmas one-shot last month and it needs some love as well.

So it's been awhile since I wrote an A/N, LOL. I'm sure you've been relieved. I also haven't written any tormenting threats about reviewing. The odd thing is, without my request, most of you have fallen off the planet. Let me assure you, I still would like to hear your comments about this story so don't hesitate to push the button and leave me some love. It only hurts when you don't say anything to me.


	31. Houston, we have a Fateblem

My own harsh inquiries and demands fell away with the vampire's calm demeanor and politeness. Fate, never one to fail with late entrances, appeared with witty repartee in hand. "It's four thirty in the morning. She's asleep, doesn't want to be disturbed and has no interest in entertaining death at all. Try back in another life-time." Moving to slam the door back closed, his hand shot out to hold it open.

"This is my daughter's apartment, where she lives alone. I'd be a poor excuse for a parent if I didn't make sure she was okay considering I have no idea who you are and yet you're standing in her hallway half-dressed." His family had yet to even move, despite the minor altercation going on with their leader and me. Deciding that informing him of his image as a 'parent' was more than misconstrued, I went for bluntness.

Grabbing his arm to forcibly shove him out, I gave what little info he obviously already knew. "I'm her boyfriend. We're very happy together. Maybe we'll send you a Christmas card. Good night, leech!" With a full bodied push, I managed to get his arm off the door but his words stopped me in my tracks.

"I know what you are and judging by your reactions and language, you are aware of us as well. The hallway of a public building is not the place to have such a discussion. Now, please, let us in so we can discuss this civilly. The next time I make my request, it will be with the help of my sons and their mates throwing your body out of a window while I collect my daughter, Bella. Do I make myself understood?"

The sunny disposition they had all been wearing was replaced with the killing nature a vampire always carried just beneath the surface. I was willing to fight to the death, but what would that presently solve? If, by some chance, Quil, Paul and I were killed, there would be no other wolves in the near vicinity to protect Bella. She would be left alone with the monsters and it only took one to harm a human.

"If I let you in, it's only to talk, right? If I so much as think you, or your family, are about to approach Bella, I'll torch your ass faster than a lightning strike. Are we clear?" I was close to swallowing my own tongue at agreeing to such an action. Wisely, Fate just handed theirs over to me for safe keeping.

The leader gave a look to his family before turning back to me. His inner monster had been replaced with his humanistic façade and he smiled pleasantly. "Of course, that's a reasonable request. However, if I feel as though Bella may be in some sort of immediate danger, I can neither guarantee my actions nor those of my family members. We will endeavor to keep this as unhostile as you and yours do."

Both of us continued to stare before I relented. Backing away from the door and down the hallway, I watched as they filed into the space ignoring the shocked the replies of Paul and Quil. There wasn't enough room if we needed to phase and I continued to walk backwards to the living room. Quil positioned himself at the entrance of the adjoining hallway to the bedrooms and Paul followed me into the larger room. Once all the leeches were assembled in the room, they stood clustered together; much like we, the wolves, were doing.

No one said anything and the tension was thick. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the second blond male pull a small object out of his pocket to absentmindedly fiddle with it. Within a fraction of a second my mind registered what it was, a car-wrench.

"You were the one, weren't you?" I accused him, finger pointing. The one responsible answered, but it wasn't the blond.

"Yes I had the revisions done to Bella's car," the Opie-vamp admitted, stepping forward. I had no idea how he knew what I was referring to, but he did. "My sister," he stated, pointing to the dead Vogue model and only female with blonde hair, "helped to make sure that all of the usual catastrophes that occur in car accidents, wouldn't."

"Ed, you would have and wrapped her car in titanium bubble wrap if they even made such a thing," spoke the one who was draped around the dead-model, his chest pressed to her back. He was a male and easily the largest of the vamps here. The creature was built like a brick shit-house and carried something far more deadly than .

"I was taking precautions, Emmett. You forget how fragile, breakable and perishable a human's life can be. Their skin is so…so…flimsy; easily broken so that their blood just drains away. And their heads," Opie-vamp almost half-sobbed, "their heads are little melons that could easily burst at the softest of impacts." He seemed to contemplate his musings before uttering the most insane statement ever. "I need to protect my little Bellamelon's head! I did this out of love."

Paul and I gaped in horror as the red-headed Chucky doll went on to describe a million and one ways a human could spontaneously combust. The rest of his mutant creeded family looked bored as if they had heard this speech many times, but didn't want to interrupt his prodigal shit. Quil and Fate were nowhere near as circumspect.

"BWAHAHHAHAHA," Quil snorted in unfound humor. "Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you? Tiny, little melons? Seriously? I can't believe Cupcake didn't run away from you in fear of catching your craziness. You're fucking whacked!"

"Quil, can it!" Paul spoke up, taking the words right out of my mouth. Too bad Fate added its own twist. "Do you think it's wise to refer to J's imprint as a snack cake in front of the monsters? I'm pretty sure they don't need any help in remembering she could easily be a corpse in one of their seven-course meals."

Paul's loose-cannon temper was starting to unravel at whatever thoughts that had conjured up and Quil looked like he wasn't quite sure what he had said wrong. "Both of you shut up!" I ordered to my pack-mates, hoping to gain control of this freak-show before any unnecessary accident occurred. Paul sucked in his breath and anger and Quil just smirked.

" I'd like to apologize for my family's behavior," the leader spoke. "Please let me introduce ourselves. My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen; Esme, my wife; Emmett and Rosalie; Alice and Jasper; and last, but certainly not least, Edward."

The one named Esme reminded me of June Cleaver in poise. I kept waiting for her to say at any moment, 'Ward, can I get you a victim?' but she didn't. She did, however, have an intense interest in Quil who had come to stand slightly behind me and to the right. I had to turn around and check to make sure him and Fate weren't making faces at her. Surprisingly they weren't which put me on edge. _Where the fuck was Fate now?_

"You guys are an aberration. There aren't any num-nums here for you to drain. We don't really give a fuck what you call yourselves, as long as you do it somewhere else. Leave!" Paul yelled, starting to shake a little as all seven of the monsters stared at him.

"That's a rather harsh statement, considering we," Carlisle said, circling his hand to indicate his family, "never harm humans. Our diet is only that of animals. A herd of caribou is rather exciting, wouldn't you agree, Mr…"

Coughing once, I decided to return the courtesy of names. At least then, if we killed them, they would know the names of their executioners. "My name is Jacob Black. To my left is Paul Wood and to my right is Quil Aterra."

Esme's eyes grew wide in a human characteristic of disbelief. "The Quil Aterra?" She questioned quietly before Carlisle could continue his antelope etiquette.

"Hell yeah! That'd be me," Quil boasted like he was some sort of superstar.

With an unexpected shift, Esme was in front of Quil and delivered an ear-piercing smack across his cheek. I'd hate to say we were unprepared for anything, but the move was a surprise. In all fairness, though, the rest of the vamps looked just as startled. Daddy Drain-O jumped behind her and wrapped his mate in a vice-grip while she snarled and raged incoherently like only a vampire could.

"What the fuck, monster?" I bellowed in pique. "You enter a wolf's domain and without any type of provocation, haul off and bitch slap one!"

Quil was cradling the side of his face, a purple bruise forming across the impacted area. "Fucking Christ, that shit hurt and was unexpected. What'd I do?" Quil asked, only slightly whining. Fate unfolded a list a mile line.

" I'm so sorry about that, gentlemen. I don't...I don't know what has gotten into her. Perhaps she's worried about empty nest syndrome when both Bella and Edward get married."

Carlisle was trying not to yell over the nastiness that poured out of his mate's mouth and I was about to tell mommy dangerous that Bella wouldn't be marrying me any time soon when it hit me: Carlisle was referring to my Bella marrying the melon worshipper! Fate appeared out of nowhere and held up two entirely different looking tuxedos. Before I could start raging myself, Esme found her voice.

"Carlisle, let me go, now! This is the wolf I was talking about all those years ago when we initially passed through their land." This party was about over for me when his hold loosened slightly as Esme began to regain control of herself.

"You mean the one that grabbed your derriere when you were out hunting one night?'

At Esme's silent nod, Carlisle released her and launched himself at Quil, his fingers wrapping around Quil's neck in a choke-hold.

" You sick…sick…beast! How dare you?" He politely snarled.

If they hadn't been vamps, I might have been impressed with tone. I could hear the crunch of stone as Quil grabbed Carlisle's fingers and twisted them. Bringing up his left leg, he pushed Carlisle away before demanding answers. Jasper and Emmett held onto Carlisle.

"What the fuck is wrong with you freaks? There isn't enough money in the world to make me wanna touch a female Dracula. And I sure as hell wouldn't be looking for sexual kicks from one."

Even fate couldn't hide the surprise over that blatant lie. Quil would hump a Loch Ness monster if he was horny enough. And he usually was.

"You already said you were Quil Aterra. Are you now denying it?" Carlisle asked, still angry, but trying to straighten out his clothing. Esme sidled up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"No deer-licker, that's my name. What I'm saying is that you have the wrong wolf." Paul chuckled over Quil's rudeness, but I stayed silent. They had already breached the hospitality rules and I was willing to give Quil a little leeway with his comments.

"So what you're telling me is that back in the late 1930's or early 40's it wasn't you?" Carlisle questioned again, still disbelieving. The rest of his family—minus Ed—watched us intently.

"Pssh, I wasn't even born yet. Neither were my parents. I thought you said you were a doctor? You do realize it wasn't possible for old people to have test-tube babies back then, right?"

"Just how many Quil dogs are located there in northern Washington?" Emmett piped up.

Quil stopped rubbing his neck and cheek to answer proudly. "It's a family name. There's probably a lot of them, though, but, dude! If you're talking about a werewolf Quil, that'd probably be my great gramps. Since he was sort of like a mentally retarded monkey, no one ever wanted to piss him off; especially since he could kick the ever living shit out of most people with wolf genes and all. He never was completely right in the head. It was just a rumor, but if you're saying he was playing grab-ass with you, then I believe it!"

Echotard was still off in the corner, talking to himself and bemoaning the fact that melons bruised so easily and strawberries that could explode on their own accord_. _

_Ironic that the rest of the Cullens are completely disrespectful over a faulty family member of Quil's._

"So they honored you with the namesake of a crazy person? That's a little whacked, man." Running a hand through his hair, he mouthed a silent 'What?' to his female. Rosalie looked pissed that her mate was engaging in conversation with us. Shaking her head in disgust, she went back to picking off Vatan hairs from her clothing.

Paul snorted before contributing his two-cents to the train wreck of a conversation. "This coming from a deceased being who has retained his exact name for close to a century, am I correct?" At Emmett's nod, Paul continued, "That's certainly the pot calling the kettle black."

Everyone in the room heard as Quil whispered to Paul. "Dude, he knows we aren't black. Did he say we were? He's sure as hell not black either with all that sparkling snow tone. Maybe you should explain to him we're Native American."

"Enough!" I demanded in general. "Esme, if you have a grievance with Quil, we can discuss it at another time." _Like never._ "What I want to know is why the seven of you have shown up unexpected and uninvited?"

The little one began dancing around in one spot randomly pointing at us. It sort of looked like Lizzie Borden singing eenie-meenie-miny-moe sans the axe. Her fingernails looked much more sinister.

"Jazzy can you read him?" She asked, finally landing on me. "Or can you tell if Edward can read him at all?"

"Yes, darlin' I can read him just fine. Edward could too until he shut-down a little." With a nod towards the corner, we all turned to look at Edward. He was debating with himself over the statistical odds of a human dying from just old age and not one of the eight hundred categories he had somehow come up with. Categories such as toyicide which he defined as a Crayola toxicity and fruiticide where an evil, malevolent coconut popped off a tree and hit you in the head.

"So he isn't a shield or anything. Why the hell can't I see Bella? This only happens when a person is gonna die, but the visions are sporadic which tells me it hasn't been decided yet. Unless…." Alice trailed off, her eyes suddenly spinning around like funnel clouds. Kinda freaked me the fuck out.

Before Edtard could finish explaining to himself the numerical variables involved in a vicious, twelve foot tall, Venus fly trap attacking a human in the Pacific Northwest, he sprung. After Esme's little flight of fierceness, I was prepared. His fingers just grazed my shoulders as I clamped down on his wrists before he dropped right in front of me like the shit-brick he was.

" Holy shit, dude! That was some awesome fucking Alpha mojo shit. How come I've never seen you do this before?" Quil asked excitedly, in no way concerned a vamp had just attempted to attack me.

"Quil, I only grabbed his wrists," I explained, looking down at the fallen creep. Realizing I still held his wrists, I let go watching as they feel uselessly to his side. I took two steps back, far enough so that I would have time to respond should he find the use of his limbs again.

" Big A, I think Wild Turkey just sauced him," Paul hinted, pointing to killing cowboy. Having never studied a leech's facial expression I could only surmise that he looked…constipated? Not wanting to interrupt his personal time or whatever that shit was about, I looked back at the fallen one.

Ed-idiot resembled a toddler slug whose favorite slime trail had been salted. With rage in his eyes and a maniacal smile on his face he rocked back forth gaining distance a centimeter at a time. His current speed would allow him to reach me sometime next year. I could live with that.

Doctor Death gave me an apologetic smile before walking over to squat down in front of Rain Vamp. I took another few healthy steps away.

"Edward, we all want answers and we will get them. However, attacking the perturbed puppies for no reason won't help us at all. If I ask Jasper to turn down the vibes, will you play nice? I'd hate to be even more embarrassed and have to send you to a corner for time out. A corner located in say, Antarctica."

The two of them stared at each other, sending silent lines of communication back and forth. Luckily, Fate translated for me. Whoa…if I had been corpse Carlisle. I'd have smacked those lips right off of Edstigator's face. Did he talk like that to his other family members at the evening Elk meal?

The thought of Elk led my memories back to the bonfire with Bella. Did she and the vamps have Caribou campfires? Had that been the missing ingredient to her s'more? My mind projected even crazier ideas and I had to wonder if maybe being in an enclosed area for such a long period of time with vamps wasn't toxic to my physical mentality.

"Sorry about that," Jasper spoke. "I can control emotions, but if I have to force specifically so strongly on one person there are sometimes side effects."

A wave of giddy euphoria crashed over me and I felt like I was floating. The unfortunate part was Wild Turkey couldn't rein it in fast enough so I could slap a hand over Quil's mouth.

"What the hell! Do all of you leeches have these freaky talents? Were you all part of some voodoo vampire cult when you were still alive?"

And with that, the emotional stink cloud vanished leaving us all in stunned silence. Daddy C cleared his throat; probably a blood –clot, and dragged the 'tard back over to his family. Like the rest of us, he ignored Quil.

"Mr. Black, all of us," he motioned to his Formica looking family, "are a little bit surprised. You seem to be walking a fine line between portraying a relationship with my daughter and holding her hostage. I'm afraid we have come here to dissuade your actions immediately. Your treaty will not protect you, or your kin, here in the city and by dragging Bella back to your lands you are, in a sense, kidnapping."

"Wrong there, Cullen. Bella is a human and we have been destined to be mates. So whatever blood-driving fetish you have planned for her, you can forget it."

"You've…you've infected her! How could you?" Edward seethed, crouching to make another pounce at me, forgetting about the Antarctica threat.

Teeth bared, I returned his attitude. "She isn't infected with anything. We aren't like leeches: vamps who have to kill their mates before they can be together. The only thing I've given to Bella is my love, which she has returned."

"Don't lie to me! I can hear it. Are your senses so dull and unworthy that you've missed what has to have been going on for some time?"

Everyone stopped all movements, trying to listen in on whatever Edweird was hearing. The only thing audible was the five hearts and sets of lungs that needed to function.

"I don't hear it, leech. Just tell me what it is you think you hear."

"You've bred with her; giving her an infection of the worst kind."

"You think I've infected her with sperm?" I asked dumbly, my thoughts stumbling back to a couple nights past when Bella and I had a minor accident. Even if Bella was pregnant, there was no way anything in the room could have known that; biology just didn't work that damn fast.

"Yessss," he hissed, "you and your animalistic needs. You mated with her, over and over again, until she had no choice but to stay with you. I bet you didn't even share the inside joke with her; having your way with her like animals mate. Did you tell her that while she was on all fours, being coupled with, that you were an actual dog? Is that position some rite of passage for your kind?"

"Absolutely," Paul whispered.

"Damn straight," Quil crowed.

"Edward," Carlisle cautioned, worried about our reactions. He needn't have bothered.

"I think you have it all wrong there, Ed," I answered, watching him flinch. "Whatever type of sex I may or may not have with Bella is none of your damn business. This mysterious noise that only you can hear is not coming from this apartment. I suggest you walk your pathetic ass straight on out the door before I lose what temperament I have left and do it for you."

The silence surrounded us again, the vamps unsure as to how to proceed. A faint popping sound echoed from down the hall followed by a few nose twitches from everyone.

Paul hit the deck first. "Jesus, Big A, how do you put up with that?"

"Fuck, J! That is just nasty! Does he do that often?"

I had to steel myself from covering my nose. While the vamps certainly gave off a noxious odor that could curl nose hairs, Vatan's farts were like gas warfare.

"I told Bella not to feed him her left over burrito; she didn't listen. Rest assured, I'll have an exhaust fan installed at my place to stop these future problems." Trying not to breathe deeply, I refocused back on the vamps who now looked relieved. "What?"

"It seems that the noise Edward thought he was hearing, did occur it was just from a different source. We are pleased to know this will not be a futuristic problem."

"Why the hell do you care if the cat has fart attacks or not?" Quil asked.

"Really, dog. Are you that dense? My father meant he was relieved that my future mate will not be burdened with a puppy that would need to be dealt with."

"Just wait a goddamn minute. Bella is not your future mate; she is mine! Let me remind you that she has chosen me and your presence is no longer needed, required nor wanted. Skip on out of here back to Vampyland and never return."

Once again taking a deep breath he didn't need, the leader spoke. "Mr. Black, you cannot keep my daughter like a slave. We are her family and when we go, so does she. You have proven nothing to me or my family."

My reasoning, examples, arguments and facts bubbled up, ready to spill forth and put this demented douche in his place.

"What did you say, Snoopy?" Edward whispered in a deadly calm voice to Quil, breaking my train of thought.

"Are you hallucinating? I haven't said a god-damn thing."

"Don't you dare even take-" Ed started to say but was cut off.

"Shut it, grape griever. The question isn't for you."Quil turned his attention to Malibu Barbie. "You guys have sex, right; with each other? What do you call it?"

The ice queen looked surprised, her expression fading into a smirk as she prepared to answer Quil. I was too shocked to intervene, or even face palm, and mentally replayed a comment Bella had made months ago about her sister, Rosalie, teaching boys their manners. I was leaving Quil on his own for this one.

"Dude, it's still called sex. Why wouldn't it be?" Her mate, Emmett asked. He was clearly as confused as the rest of us, but apparently this line of questioning was too good to miss out on. Quil had an immediate response.

"No. Sex is what occurs between two people. Masturbation is one person gets his or he rocks off with a hand or toy. Kink is two people and toys in case you were confused. But when a person has sex with a dead person it's called necrophilia. What the hell is it called when both entities are dead? Co-necrophilia?

"Quil! Seriously! Do you really think that's an appropriate question, NOW?" I huffed, wishing Fate would magically appear with a gag. Fate was never on my side, though.

"J, dude, I hate vamps as much as the next wolf but when would I ever have a chance like this again to ask? You think Ms. Manners would answer this if I wrote her a letter for pc terms concerning the fucking dead…maybe it's dead fucking. Whatever. Jeez, Jake, you know she wouldn't."

"Quil, I don't give two shits what the Pansy pumpkin eater and his crew call sex. Shut the fuck up already." Turning around to face Quil, I must have been able to give enough of a threatening look as he held up both hands in surrender. I returned to my immediate problem: The dad decoy.

"Carlisle, we are getting nowhere with this; let me break it down for you. You and your family are vampires and have no rights to Bella, whatsoever. I am human with the bonus of being able to turn fuzzy every so often. By a force greater than all that can be defined, it has been determined that Bella will be by my side. She knows of this and has accepted it. Please just go."

Feeling mollified in my reasoning, I waited for him to bow and leave. Not that I thought he'd actually lower himself in front of me but it kept me stationed. Until he spoke.

"Our peace keeper, Aro, allowed young Edward the boon of raising Bella after her parents tragically died in a car accident caused by two vamps having a tiff. Of course, guideline s had to be placed. She was never to be informed we were vampires; an easy feat, but only for so long. By the age of twenty-five, Bella will be informed and she must decide: either agree to be turned or die."

"Your family adopted her for feeling guilty over her parents death, but then you're gonna kill her anyways?" I asked incredulously.

"The life we have given her far surpasses anything she could have achieved as a ward of the state, Mr. Black."

"You don't know that leech!" I screamed out in anger. By the thinnest thread, I was keeping it together and not morphing to kill these monsters. The abrupt pounding on the floor from the tenants below, brought me back to my full senses.

The voice, although muffled, was clearly heard by all in the room. "Call a fucking exterminator like the rest of the free-world, asshole. Some of us have jobs to go to rather than playing with our fishing bait.

"She could have been adopted by a wonderful family and been just as productive as she is now," I reasoned, rage lacing my voice.

"Wrong again, Mr. Black. Alice viewed every scenario. Bella never would have been adopted. By the age of twelve she would have been transferred to nine different foster homes. At fifteen, she became sexually assaulted by a foster father. Three months later she would have been transferred once again; this time to a home of wayward teens. There, a particularly delinquent teen on the brink of being released rapes her. With no hope of any type of outside help, she ran away, living with one abusive man to the next. At eighteen she marries one of the losers only to be tragically killed at the age of 22 when her husband comes home in a drunken rage to be told he's going to be a dad."

The silence was deafening. He sounded so sure and precise. But not in a vampire convincing sort of way.

"So you tell me, Mr. Black," Carlisle continued, "which way would have been preferred. Her life as a human would have been nearly the same length of time either way, but are we really the monsters in wanting her time to be somewhat happy and productive? Where would you be now if we hadn't intervened?"

"Assuming you are correct and all of that would have taken place, I don't know what would have been preferred." I paused to gather my thoughts. "But as you have implied, Alice's gift is based on humans and their actions. Neither I, nor your family, would be able to know what would have happened if an unseen force had stepped in. Maybe I would have bonded with her earlier. Maybe she would have ended up with my people long before ever being physically traumatized. It doesn't matter. I won't thank you because you have just as effectively signed her death warrant as any abusive husband might have."

"Touché, Mr. Black. However, your acceptance is not needed. Edward will not force her in any way. Should she accept our life, they will become a pair. Sort of like you and your mates do. If she wants to remain human, she will be killed. Painlessly I might add."

"You cold-hearted bastard!" I accused, using a deadly calm I had never felt before. "I don't think you've been paying attention. Bella is mine and I will protect her. In less than 24 hours, she will be safely ensconced on werewolf turf. You tell your peace-keeper if he wished to keep his title, he'll forget all about her. She is no longer a concern to leeches."

"You will not listen to reason, Mr. Black and I am tired of playing nice." Turning to face Jasper, Carlisle demanded, "Wake her! We are leaving and taking Bella with us!"

The vamps assembled into a triangular formation, ready to physically move us. All of us, the wolves, were trembling in a struggle to keep from shifting. Fate just trembled in fear.

"Do not make us fight here. No one will win and all of will be exposed. Bella has made her choice and if you wish to take her, it will only be if she says yes. If you are as confident as you claim, you won't object to letting me hear her say it without the guise of being dazzled by your nature."

"Fine!" Carlisle snapped, still motioning for Jasper to cease his mind-tricks. The minutes ticked by as I held my composure, waiting to explain everything to Bella and hoping to every known deity that she would choose me. If she didn't…nothing would matter. The fight to ensue would be to the death.

Fate appeared with a magic 8-ball, pleading for an outcome I couldn't decipher.

* * *

A/N: Hello my pretties! I'd like to give a warm welcome to all my new readers and ask where the hell my reviews are? It's quite simple: You read for amusement and I write for reviews. I'm guessing you are all amused but I am missing many reviews. This breaks my heart and makes my plot-bunny, dungeon master, Elmer, grumpy. :( Be nice and help me curb Elmer's outbursts. Reviews are like Valium to him and calm that inner beast. Ever been bitch-slapped with a twenty pound carrot? Yeah, it's like that without reviews. :D

To those who have been reviewing, I heart you all. I know I have been negligent in responding and for that I feel horrible. I'm forced to use my free time to write or review and I choose write. As you can tell, even that time is limited at best. :(

My awesome beta, blueboarderchick, is a tad busy with RL at the moment and hasn't been able to help me control my comma-delinquencies. I hope she is able to return soon, as I miss her greatly. In the mean time, jul5857 has allowed me to torture her into beta'ing this monster. Many hugs to her for being so agreeable. :)

I do have a twitter account ()furrycannibals which I occasionally use. If you are following me and I'm not following you back, it's because I can't identify your twitter name with the fandom. Send me a tweet so I don't accidently block you. Be warned: my tweeting is sporadic and far from anywhere near a PG rating. Keep that in mind if you're oversensitive to words/dialogue/descriptions or just plain old fashion cussing.


	32. Fatewell

Whatever the one named Jasper had been doing, ceased and all of us could hear Bella as she stirred from her sleep.

"Jake, where are you, sweetie?" she questioned softly from the other room, shuffling to find clothes or slippers, I couldn't tell which.

In a normal volume I answered, "In the living room, honey." As Bella began to leave the bedroom, all of the vampires froze except for the Tink-Tick vamp known as Alice. Bouncing excitedly, she started to make her way past us and I growled. I had agreed to allow Bella to speak; no way in hell were any of the monsters going to be close enough to mind-fuck her.

"Alice," Ed-Red-Mill patronized, "the canine thinks we are being unfair and wishes for us to hold back. Don't worry, though, we'll all get our chance to properly greet her." His gaze turned hard as he started at me, waiting for me to respond.

_Go ahead, leech, and try it! But you've seen Quil's mind. I have no doubt whatsoever that I can convince him to rip your dick off first. You __might__ win, but how would you like to spend the rest of eternity not only a fake human but a fake man to boot?_

My thoughts were direct enough to elicit a growl from him; Carlisle reached out to rest his hand warningly on his shoulder.

"Later, Edward. Let us finish Bella's involvement before engaging in a fight. In fact," Carlisle paused to stare pensively at his brood, "perhaps we shouldn't immediately overwhelm Bella. You know how she can get with these visits. Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose? Would you please wait out in the hallway?" Wordlessly the four left before Bella could appear; Fate, holding up a sign I wasn't sure applied to them.

_Don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you._

I don't know if anyone else had been paying particular attention –an odd occurrence with so many super naturals present—but the first to exit the hallway was Vatan. With a gleeful rumble, he started to make a beeline for Quil only to stop short when he realized the monsters were here as well. Anger and fear radiated off of the damn cat and while he hissed his displeasure, he also farted again. Repeatedly.

Not only was I in mental/emotional pain, I now had to suffer odiferous pain as well.

"Quil, pick him up and coddle him please. I don't need any more stink bombs in my presence; three is too many as is." Glaring at the vamps, creatures I hated with every iota of my soul, I wished for one brief moment that I too, didn't require the need to breathe. At least for the duration of this conversation.

Paul snickered while Quil held his arms open to the fur demon. Vatan launched himself upwards, using his claws to gain purchase on his pseudo-lover's body. The faintest smell of blood met us and it was funny to watch the Vampy Bunch frown in discomfort.

"Jake, what are you doing up? I don't want to wake up Paul and Qui…Oh!" Bella had finally made it into the living room and I quickly embraced her, more to comfort myself. The fact that her family was here had been noticed.

"Mom…Dad…what are you doing here?"

"Bella, we've missed you and have come to take you home. Your mother has found a local animal shelter near Fairbanks looking for an experienced vet. Alice has submitted your résumé and they called for an interview."

"Wh-wh-what?" Bella stuttered in surprise. "You found me a job in Alaska without discussing it with me first? Why?"

"Oh, honey, we learned of the horrible budget cuts here in Seattle and that you were laid off. Alice knows you don't like living alone so she went ahead and located a job for you. She didn't want to say anything in case it didn't work out but now that it has, you can move up north, closer to all of us. Your interview isn't until next week, which gives you plenty of time to find an apartment to your liking."

Bella stood there completely dumb-founded. Hell, I was too, but this was not how this convo was going to go. Secretly I gloated that she hadn't even noticed the creature who thought she was going to marry him.

"Bella, I have a marvelous house I bought a few months ago. It has two master suites and you are more than welcome to move in with me; even if it's only temporary." Liarward gave my imprint a dazzling grin and my grumble forced its way past my lips; only partially uninvited. Not a damn thing in the room missed it, including Bella.

"I, uhh, that's very generous of you, Edward, but-"

"I'll even let you pay the electric and half the food bill if you insist."

"Yeah, how much does a weekly supply of puffin and bear, cost?" Paul muttered. Bella turned her confused gaze from her family towards Paul.

_Well, that was one way for the jig to be up. Go Paul! _

"Jake," Bella whispered, not knowing her family could hear as well. "I...What do I do? How am I going to tell them about us? Let me go hug them hello so I can think of a way around this." She began to squirm in my arms, attempting to move towards them. My hold didn't tighten but neither did I loosen it.

"They already know, Bella. They have something to tell you as well."

"Let her go! You said this would be her way and yet here you are holding her captive." Despite the anger in his words, Bipolar-Bro held his stance; me, not so much.

"Captive? Yeah, right, monster. You said you'd tell her all before she needs to decide. I'm simply holding her until you've completed your end of the bargain. Then she's welcome to go wherever she wants."

"You already told them, Jake? Are they going to be safe? How long has everyone been awake?"

"I don't know, sweetie," I answered truthfully before Fate kicked in my sarcastic streak. "Carlisle? How long have you been awake?"

"Enough of your games, Mr. Black. This is not amusing and you would do well to remember that!"

"Dad? I don't understand. Why are you mad at Jacob? Is this about…did he tell you something?"

"Bella, this young man has told me a lot of interesting things; few of which I believe." Composing his features back into a loving –_hack, hack; gag, gag_—father, he smiled towards my imprint. "Come and give me and your mother a hug, sweetheart. It's been a long time since we've seen you."

"No," I answered for her. "Not until you've told her everything you just told us."

"Jake, don't tell my father no. He just wants a hug. You're going to give him a bad impression of you."

For once, and what I hoped was the only time in my life, I ignored my imprint. Continuing to push the issue, I demanded of the vamps, "Are you going to tell her? Or are you going to make us stand here for all of eternity? I'll give you to the count of five before I unleash the horrific crap you're trying to pass of as a fairy tale."

"Jake, you can't talk to my dad like that! If you'd just let me go, we can all sit down and-"

Dispassionately the leeches just stared at me and Bella, making no attempt to speak up. I went for bluntness.

"Bella, do you remember the bonfire? All of the legends and the tales you heard that night? Do you remember yesterday? All of the panic and struggle we went through to get away unhurt? They've found us, although I don't know if they're the same ones or not." I tried not to smirk as I watched Ed frown. He seemed to do that a lot, especially when I thought the name Ed.

Bella twisted all the way around in my arms to face me, her eyes wide in disbelief and…anger?

"Jake, you can't just blurt that out! My family is going to think you're mental." Turning back to the doc, Bella tried to reason. "Dad, I know it sounds crazy, but I can explain. Well, maybe not exactly explain, but it's all true. See, Jake is…he's special and I don't mean that like he's special to me, although he is. But in all honesty, we really are soul-mates. Dad, I really love Jacob and I'm…I'm going to marry him. I mean, we haven't set a date or anything, but it'll probably be soon. So I can't really move to Alaska with you guys. I really appreciate the offer, though."

Had Fate landed a helicopter in the room filled with gnomes –mythological creatures as far as I knew—that suddenly jumped out and started to Vogue with Gummy bears -a dream courtesy of Quil—the vamps could not have possibly been more surprised than they were at Bella's declaration.

"That's…wow. That's a lot to take in," Carlisle responded. In a humanistic fashion, he ran his hand through his hair as if he were trying to process all he had been told.

I knew better.

"Bella, that's sweet and I'm happy for you, I really am. Unfortunately, I can't accept it."

_And the vamps squished the dancing gnomes with one fatal statement_.

Paul, Quil and I all began to growl, low and threatening. I'm sure Bella could feel it but she chose to ignore it. Unlike Vatan who expressed his surprise in another cloud of stink.

"Well, no. I mean you and mom are probably a little shocked. And I definitely should've told you earlier how serious my relationship was, but after the initial shock fades, it'll be okay."

"That's not what I mean. I-"

"-And really, Jake is great. I think I've loved him since we went out on our first date, but you know me. It took awhile before I saw this as a long-term thing-"

"-forbid your marriage. Bella you can't marry him-"

"-which actually kinda works out. But I wasn't entirely truthful to Jake-"

"-you have a few years left, but eventually you must choose."

"-I mean, he'll probably be excited. Gosh knows I am!" Bella stopped before revealing why she was in fact so excited to have kept something from me; Doctor Death's words having finally caught her attention. "What do you mean, forbid? Dad, you can't mean that! And what's supposed to happen in a few years?"

I don't know how to describe the type of smile he gave Bella, but whatever its true meaning held caused her to gasp and panic.

"Dad? What aren't you telling me? Am I…am I sick? Oh my goodness, no! No, I can't be sick! This can't be real!" She started to full-out cry, igniting my anger.

"See what you've done now? Damn it, why couldn't you just tell her and be done with it?" Twisting to stand in front of Bella, I dropped to my knees, reaching up to wipe away the tears in an attempt to comfort her. "Bella, you aren't sick, ok? I promise you, it's not that! You know I'd be able to tell if you were sick or something. What your dad doesn't want to come out and say has nothing to do with you and everything to do with him and the rest of your siblings." I doubted my words penetrated her current mental state. Through the torrent of tears, I could make out words of 'lost dreams' and 'an end before it even began'.

Fate didn't fail me in the tact department, as I blurted out my next sentence. "Bella, your family are vampires."

Edward's hiss of distaste was the only sound as Bella froze mid-sob. I counted slowly to myself, unsure of what to expect.

"Jake, now is not the time for name calling. I already explained to you about their condition. Why are you being such a… a… an asshole?"

_Not what I was expecting…._

"Bella, don't you know Jake at all? He's usually an ass, hole or not," Quil answered.

…_Exactly what I was expecting._

"Bella, sweetie, listen to me," mommy vamp tried to explain. "You aren't dying; your father and I would never allow that to happen." _Liar!_ "Perhaps we should sit down and explain a few things to you."

Bella nodded that she was in fact looking forward to sitting down. I would have felt better standing and holding her, but she needed to feel normal. Who could blame her?

She and I were the only ones to actually sit. More hovering than sitting, I had Bella in my lap as the vamps told her their sordid tale beginning with her adoption. When they finally got to the part about blessing her with eternal life and that Edward loved her so much he wanted to be her mate, Bella's sanity bubble began to snap.

"You want to be my…lover?" She questioned in a high-pitched voice. "Like be _together_?"

Fate stood off in a corner, rubbing two rocks together and trying to figure out exactly how that might work.

"Very much so, but I'm not pushing for anything immediately, Bella, and we certainly don't have to discuss this so openly in front of Carlisle and Esme. I've waited over a hundred years to have sex; another decade or so won't kill me," Edward chuckled, his pun somehow self-amusing.

Bella wasn't amused though and went with the bulldozer approach. "To sum up my involvement in your lives as vampires, you adopted me because you felt guilty for the death of my parents. Then, realizing that you couldn't read my mind, you decided I was the antidote to your issue of being stuck with a mate who you would forever be able to mentally hear?"

"Bella, you make it sound so clinical. I'm not in love with you because I think of you like a puzzle without a solution that I'll forever be able to be amused with. We have feelings too and I love you."

"Edward, you went along with the farce of raising me to think of you as like a brother. And NOW you drop the bomb that you want me to engage in incest?" She yelled out in exasperation.

Paul and Quil high-fived each other at Bella's crudeness towards her family. I almost leaned back to join in. The vamps become even more pissed off; specifically, the delusional fiancé.

"I think you're overreacting. The entire time we were only siblings in name, never once did we pretend to be your real relatives," Edward huffed in exasperation.

"It's still demented! And what about all of you pushing me to enter the field of biology? Whose sick idea was that?" Bella spat out in a full rage.

Carlisle stepped back in, voicing the confusion they all felt. "Bella you always liked science and chose that path on your own. Your brothers and sisters simply helped out as best they could by taking classes of a lesser caliber to stay near you. We were all surprised when you went to Washington State for your degree."

That was a low blow and I was pissed. I didn't know why she had chosen Washington state but it didn't really fucking matter. It was a great school, she was a smart girl and everything had worked great. I did wonder briefly it had been a discussion of discontent between Bella and her family at one point. Bella didn't even bother to comment about it though, more intent to point out the obvious.

"Dad, I study living things! Do you not see the irony of encouraging that field, all the while secretly wanting me to become dead?"

My anger left and I had to bite my tongue from laughing at this point. Fate was taking notes for something, but I could care less. This was better than day time talk shows.

"But Bella," Edward spoke up excitedly. "Think of the benefits. You've studied biology and will be able to better detect healthy animals for us to dine on. Emmett is always grumbling the bears he finds are sorely lacking. Perhaps you can help him find a very strong and worthy one?"

"Bears?" Bella asked slowly as if she had never heard of such creatures.

"It's his favorite," Edward gushed. "Mostly Grizzly, but up in Alaska he gets the opportunity to hunt Polar Bears and they are so much bigger than a Grizzly."

"You hunt bears?" Bella asked again, her hysteria returning. I felt really bad for her, but this was fucking epic!

"No. I myself prefer mountain lions. All of us have our favorites, though. Carlisle and Jasper take yearly trips to Indonesia and feast on Komodo Dragons. The cunningness of those creatures is astounding and the guys will set-up games to play amongst the monsters. It truly is an enjoyable vacation if you can get past having to hide out all day in a smelly hut."

"What else?" Bella whispered. "What other beautiful creatures do you hunt?"

"Just about anything that weighs over a hundred pounds. It also depends on what continent we're living on and how developed the area is. The girls are fond of Kangaroos. They're large enough, but more 'vegetarian' than I can stand to dine on for long periods of time… "

_Blahblah, blahblah,blahblah._

The 'tard would not shut up! On and on he babbled about the delicacies of different blood and how each continent and geographic region held its own unique flavors. Bella may have been hanging on to his every word, but not for loving or caring purposes. I could feel her getting more and more tense and I slightly tightened my hold on her, preparing for the building outburst.

"…Bella? Are you worried that you won't find a taste to your liking? I promise you, we can travel the world for as long as it takes until you have," Edward assured her, misreading whatever expression she currently wore.

"Are you insane? No, Edward, I'm not worried about what type of blood I'll like; I don't plan on every consuming any! You are sitting here, talking to a Biology graduate about decimating endangered species!"

"It's not always like that, dear," Carlisle interjected. "Most of the time we dine on overpopulated species, like caribou or deer; animals that would eventually die from starvation. Rather than allowing those poor creatures to suffer, we peacefully take care of them."

"You play God! You don't know which animal may or may not succumb to starvation or death. You don't even know how many could survive if left alone. Don't act like this is some type of charity on your part," Bella spat out, clearly offended.

Gingerly I rubbed her back trying to give her some sort of comfort while her "family" stared at her in stunned silence. Apparently their 'pet' -my mistake—their 'daughter' had shocked them. I was ready to celebrate.

"Hey, cupcake. You should ask why they fed you such messed up shit," Quil spewed out in typical unpredictable fashion to break the silence.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, refusing to look anywhere but at the vamps. I almost wished she had a mirror on the far wall so I could see her expression.

"Girl, you eat the craziest shit I've ever heard of. And your other things….well, when Jake mentioned the octopus, I was more than shocked."

"You…we…arrested cause of something Jake said?" Bella was so flustered she couldn't even talk straight. However, it didn't seem to affect her coordination in the least as she whipped around to glare at me.

_Hmmm, maybe I really didn't want to see that expression towards me_.

I knew she was upset and that it probably wasn't because of me. My giddiness overrode any anger I should've had for Quil. "Honey, I told you, werewolves can smell things. That first night I stayed at your place and then went back to my apartment, Quil could smell your…"

"Jacob Black! What the heck are you saying? That having sex with me smells like…squid?"

Not only did my mouth fall open in shock with my tongue hanging uselessly to the side but I think my vocal chords jumped out as well. I couldn't even think of a way to assure her she had it all wrong.

The fuckers known as Fate let Quil speak with no problem.

"Technically you guys didn't have sex. But yeah, Jake held a hint of Eau de Julliard Caesar."

"Jake you never said…What?" Turning back to glare at Quil, Bella went from pissed off to confused rage.

"Love," the leech crooned. "The mutt is trying to say he thought his friend smelled like the creature from Jules Verne's 20,000 leagues under the Sea. He's wrong though; you have never smelled like anything less than perfection. It was crass of him to speak of such things."

Bella's hand dropped to her stomach. Slowly her rage simmered and she continued to ignore the dead-ones. Nervously she licked her lips before asking, "Just how well can you smell things?"

"If you farted, don't worry. Truck has been infusing the room with his Montezuma's revenge; no one noticed anything."

Bella just stared at me helplessly, unable to translate what the hell Paul had just said. "He means that Van has been a little gassy after his burrito dinner. It's okay, honey, we were too occupied to really notice."

"Oh," Bella answered half-heartedly, leading me to believe she could care less about the Vatan fowl. "But what did Quil mean by saying I ate weird things?"

My heart dropped and I shot her family a look of death before answering. "Sweetie, you had to have noticed that they don't exactly sell peanut burgers at your local McDonalds or salmon quiche at the Denny's on the corner."

_Maybe she'd understand where I was going with this…_

"Of course not, Jacob. They also don't sell pheasant under glass or lobster fra Diablo; those are delicacies."

…_what the hell was I thinking? Of course she wouldn't. _

"That may be," _NOTNOTNOT_ "but even so, it's not something most people would eat on a regular basis. These vam—your family has led you astray. Some of the food combos you make or request are a tad on the odd side."

Bella looked at me so despondently that I wanted to cry. Esme's screech caused us both to jump.

"Preposterous. We've traveled the world in search of only the best for our daughter. You humans have such a limited sense of smell and wouldn't know what does and doesn't go well together."

"That's rich," Quil tittered, clearing enjoying the show. "This coming from a creature whose husband pretends to be a doc so he can lick band-aids?"

"You vile creature," Esme hissed, all niceties gone. "You have no idea as to what you are talking about. As dogs, you sniff piss stains on trees and hump everything that isn't faster than you. You know nothing of what makes a sensible diet!"

"Mom," Bella gasped, completely shocked. "Don't talk to him like that. Quil isn't the most charismatic of people, but he doesn't deserve that!"

_If only Bella could see what Fate thought Quil deserved…._ I interrupted my own thoughts, catching the weird look suitor-Satan Ed was giving me.

"Bella, I think it would be a good idea for you to come home with us now. We can all take a break and think about things before one of us unintentionally says something hurtful. Why don't you go back a bag and gather up Van's stroller and we can leave. Later, you can call _him_," Carlisle snarled slightly, pointing at me.

Whatever humor I had been feeling suddenly left. Lightly dropping Bella into the cushion next to me, I stood up with Paul and Quil positioned on either side of me and Bella safely behind us.

"You wait just one filthy fuck-"

"No." Bella stated calmly, cutting of my rant. "I'm not leaving with you, dad. I told you, my life is here and with Jacob. If you have to kill me, then fine, but I am not going with you. Ever!" Her hand snuck up to wrap around my shaking fist. Uncurling my fingers, I grasped hers in a show of unity. She had made her choice and I'd help protect it to my last, dying breath.

"Do you understand the choice you are making? By choosing them over us, you are sealing your own death?" Carlisle pleaded. He knew though, it was in his look. No matter what else he had to say, Bella was not going to leave with them. Her next sentence sealed the deal.

"I'd rather have a few more years of life than an eternity of regret. I don't know you guys any more, please leave."

"Well, I'd say that's a wrap, blood-sucker. Take your asses on out of here and leave us alone," Paul chirped.

"Bella, you can't mean this," Edward continued to plead. "What about Alice, Rose, Emmett and Jasper? You don't even want to say good bye to them? You're going to just leave, after everything we did for you?"

I felt Bella kneel up on the couch to press against me. She was hurting and this needed to end soon.

"Maybe I'll call them in a few weeks. Right now though, I'm upset. You guys, all of you, knew that you were going to kill me. I can't exactly think happy thoughts about any of you, knowing you were planning on murder."

I felt the moisture of tears on my back and I had to harden my voice to sound rough when all I wanted to do was turn around and embrace my imprint in comfort.

"Leave," I growled, not caring that I didn't sound human. "You asked for answers and explanations and have gotten them."

The doc nodded, pushing his son out the door while pulling on his wife's hand to follow. Both Paul and Quil followed behind them at a safe distance to lock up after the vamps cleared the door. I could hear the muted conversation from the other siblings as they tried to figure out how to fix this. Emmett was enraged and the doc had to stop him from tearing the door off the hinges. I couldn't tell who was controlling Edward but he wanted to come back in as well.

"Paul," I whispered so Bella couldn't hear me. "Can you…?" I indicated the floor space in the hallway. I wanted to take Bella back into the bedroom but I needed to know we had a guard by the front door.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed, sighing. Sliding down the wall, he sat on the floor and leaned back.

"Jake? Can we go to bed? I'm really tired." Bella asked, sounding worn out.

"Yes, honey, we can." I turned around and picked her up, giving Quil last minute instructions to call Embry and Sam to give a rundown of the past couple of hours. Kicking the bedroom shut as we entered, I set Bella down on the bed before turning off the lights.

"What happens now, Jake?" Bella asked as I situated her on my chest.

"Tomorrow we move back to La Push, honey. Or if you want to wait a few days, we can."

_Please, no. Please, no. Please, no…_

"No, I still want to move tomorrow. I meant what happens when I turn 25?" My relaxation from her previous answer vanished as I struggled to answer her seriously.

No one knew what would happen so I answered her question like any normal person would. "We'll have the biggest party ever and go wherever you want to celebrate."

"And when they come back to kill me?" She pushed.

"If they come back, there are twenty some wolves ready and willing to take care of them." Kissing her softly, we both snuggled, knowing it was the best answers we had for now. Daylight was almost here but we needed to sleep. I was almost there when her voice broke through my lull.

"Jake? How old where you when you found out you were a werewolf?"

The question was so misplaced I struggled to understand if there was a hidden meaning. "I was sixteen when I first phased. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure it didn't happen when you were little, little," Bella mumbled, sleep quickly overcoming her. "I think I'm pregnant."

Fate jumped out with party streamers and confetti, more than excited to start a new round of "Fuck with Jake's life". I could hear Paul's head snap against the wall in shock and Quil stopped fending off Vatan, presumably too numb to notice anything but what he had just heard Bella say.

Now what the fuck was I supposed to do?

* * *

A/N: You scream, I scream, we all scream "Thank fucking god it's finally over!"

It ends here. This isn't where the stary was supposed to go, or end, but I think it wore out its welcome. If I get ambitious enough, I'll add some of the other chapters later as outtakes. They won't be a contiuation, just chapters I had hoped to work into future settings, but didn't.

Most of this story was a blast to write and I thank most of you for commenting and supporting me through this journey. I set out to do something and while I fell short, at least I know it's not possible. A hearty FU to those who made my time miserable (wouldn't want to forget anyone in a parting note).


	33. Outtake: Let It Rip!

This tale was to be a collab with author _**lifelesslyndsey, **_a very gifted author here on fanfic_**. **_She helped with this chapter but I lost the will to carry on this story so it will sit here in FIOF as an outtake.

Shout to my reviewer: Mauralee88. She got the gears turning for this idea.

Kudos to Blueboarderchick for beta'ing this. :)

Just remember, if you haven't read this already, this is Quil's mindset and takes place a considerable amount of time after FIOF.

* * *

The gentle rocking reminding me of my sweet Claire. I could smell the food wafting from the kitchen, wondering if maybe she hadn't set the timer on the oven and had snuck in here for a quickie. Slowly opening my eyes, I could make out the shapes and sounds of youngsters excitedly going over their Christmas presents. Well it certainly better have fucking been Christmas otherwise Hallmark had a lot of explaining to do as to why there was a half-dead, decorated tree propped up in the corner with brightly colored wrapping paper all over the place and hiding my feet. If those crazy executive motherfuckers had invented some other Neo-Nazi pseudo-holiday to fleece people out of hard earned money, I was going to put a stop to it. First the crazy cotton tailed Peter bunny with his Trix cereal and basketful of Gobsters to some jolly fat fucker smoking crack, breaking and entering and not even being required to serve time while simultaneously running a sweat shop for handicapped midgets. Bah, those white collars had figured out all the loop holes.

Upon further examination, I realized that I was alone in my rocker, the warmth and weight in my lap was in fact, not Claire-Bear, but a scratchy afghan someone had draped over me. Four young men lounged about and as I took in each one of their faces, I realized that while they looked a lot like me, I didn't have a clue as to who they where. Shifting slightly in my chair, one of them looked up smiling. He was a handsome lad and if he smiled like that at too many ladies he'd have more pussy than he would know what to do with. He nudged one of the other kids next to him and whispered something. Pretty soon all four of them were looking at me. _What the fuck are they looking at? Have I forgotten bottoms again?_ Jesus Christ, a one time slip without pants and people never let you live it down. I couldn't stand the scrutiny! So I stared back. Unblinkingly. I wasn't the reigning champion of staring contest for no reason, I was King! No mini-me's of myself would win. At least I knew my doppelgängers were good looking.

Holy Shit, in fact these kids could start an escort service. Bitches would be willing to set up an appointment three years in advance for a night with any one of them. Corporate cunts be damned! If they could make billions on some underage pudgy fucker with wings, shooting arrows while wearing a diaper, then why couldn't I make cash using the real deal? The money signs clinked before my eyes as I plotted. First though I'd have to ask what the hell their names were. Try to incorporate that shit into stage names or something. Focusing in on them again, I realized they were all still staring at me. Maybe I had let one rip?

"What?" I barked out, trying to sniff the air. Smelled okay to me, must be something else they were looking at.

"Did you have a nice nap, Grandpa?" One of the boys asked me. _Hmm, not sure how to distinguish them. _It's not like they were clones or any of that science crap. But aside from their shirt colors, I couldn't make heads or tails of any differences. _What the hell did he mean was I sleeping? _

"I wasn't sleeping, I was thinking." What had I been thinking? Something about scientific names or some shit. Maybe it was rainbows.

"Sure, okay." The same kid said, smirking at his entourage. Come to think of it, maybe they where here on a recruiting mission. I may have seen a few seasons but I still had it in me. Maybe I could talk my Claire into some video action. We could do the commercials or some advertising shit. She sure did like to make movies back in our day.

"Who are you?" I asked, wondering why some evil dust bunny was taking a shit at the base of the dead tree in my house. If I told them once, I've told them a thousand times, check the fucking crops before dragging them into the house. As the thing came closer to me, I realized it was a cat, a damn fucking ugly one at that. Of course the ugly shitter had just left a silver speckled turd in my house so maybe it was special.

"I'm your grandson." Well, of course he was, he looked just like me. Tall, dark and handsome, he had lady killer written all over him. I still didn't know who he was.

"I realize that, retard. What's your name?" _Just say it already._ I know I had asked him that question, why wouldn't he answer?

"Grandpa, do you not know who I am? I'm River." He started pointing out the other mobsters with him.

"That's Shane, that's Cody, and that's Charlie." The last one gave kind of a wave and I had to wonder who the hell named their kid after a penis. Or maybe it was some evil oriental dude in a candy factory, luring in innocent orphan virgins. I'd have to think about that later.

"Charlie? You ain't one of mine." He was still handsome but there was too much authority to his stance, somehow setting him apart from the others. Unlike the others, he looked like he followed the rules. _Definitely not one of mine._

"Yes, I am, Grandpa. My mom is your daughter." _Oh my god!_ _My daughter had sex? Was it willing?_ I knew we must have had the birds and the, well, the Talk. Did I forget to mention birth control? I know I mentioned peanut butter. However, I had just forgotten we had magic dust shitters that dropped silver from its ass. It was possible. The four thugs were back to whispering and sizing me up. A new one spoke up this time.

"Will you tell us a story?" He asked me. They all looked at me expectantly. Finally, a group of kids that had come to the right place to be informed of the proper way to have sex. Straightening up in my chair, I felt the beginning of an earth quake. It slowed quickly, and I prided myself of the fact that I was the only one who had felt it. _Ah, earthquakes._ They were about to get a biology lesson they would never forget.

"A story about what?" I asked, anticipating them to inquire about the wonders of sex and the many, many different things that could be used to add excitement. Secretively they all glanced around at each other before one of them spoke.

"Werewolves." The word triggered the memories. It felt just like yesterday as the thoughts reminded me of all the good times the pack and I had. This might just be better than sex. _Who was I kidding?_ Nothing beat sex, and werewolves were phenomenal at it.

"Go get me a beer first, Ryan." I instructed, wondering where Bear might have placed some of the photographic memorabilia depicting all the pleasing possibilities. I'd have to start slow, bringing out the trunk of toys might be a little intimidating to these youngsters.

"Who's Ryan?" They were all back to staring at each other like I was talking in a different language. _Was this a game?_ That little shit had just told me his name, how could I forget?

"That's what you said your name was." I told him, waiting for him to try and deny the truth.

"It's River, Grandpa." He returned in a patient tone.

"Close enough, now go get me one." _Semantic fucker_. River...Ryan. At least I didn't call him rim-job. If I could get the first initial correct, I was on top of my game.

"Grandpa, you aren't supposed to be drinking beer. The doctors said it wasn't good for you. How about one of those Ensure drinks?" _Oh, he had me there._ A nice cold chocolate Ensure. It was the call of liquid Ambrosia. But I must not be tempted by such evilness. This was story time and it required a beer.

"Just go get me a fucking beer." I stated, wondering why no one else could see what was happening here. One of them, number fuck if I know, left to go get me a different form of liquid gold. He came back, holding a bottle. Behind him, the love of my life accompanied. She looked kind of pissed and I got rather excited. A few hours in the sack and she'd be smiling as much as I was.

"Hi there, Bear." Wagging my eyebrows, I gave her The Look. The Look that said clearly we could abandon the children and take care of our problems correctly.

"Don't you sweet talk me, Quil. Shane just told me you demanded a beer." _Shane?_ Oh, the repent looking hitman cowering behind grandma's skirt. _Fucking pussy!_

"But, Bear! They want a story. I was going to tell them about wolves." I growled out the last word, Bear liked that.

"Quil! Don't be scaring the boys about our legends. What's gotten into you?" Waving her over, she walked towards me. Unexpectedly, I grabbed her, pulling her into the chair on top of my lap. Copping a feel, I nuzzled her neck before whispering into her ear.

"It's starting." I told her, nodding over to the four giants huddled on the couch, staring at us like we had just passed them a life sentence. Of course more than that was starting too, as my Bear shifted in my lap. I wondered how much they knew. No matter. They knew nothing!

"What are you going to tell them?" She asked me right back, arching her neck so I could kiss it. Yeah, she could feel it starting all right.

"Most of it's cakewalk. I think I'll just dive into the imprinting thing." I moaned as she pulled back, the pissed off look back on her face.

"Quil!" She pleaded, her voice causing my arousal at the sex tone she used."Don't you dare tell them about that."

"Not us, Bear. Old Jake and Bella." Oh, the tangled web of that imprint story. It was a legend in its own right. _Lions and tigers and octopus, growl!_

"Oh, okay." She caved in and stood up. Before I could protest she whispered one of my favorite promises. "I'll make it up to you later." Kissing me on the cheek, she flounced back into the kitchen humming seventies porno music theme songs. Bow chicka bow wow. _God, I loved that woman._

"What's starting, Grandpa?" The ringleader asked, pulling me out of one of my favorite sex fantasies.

"My erection!" I spat out, wondering what the hell he was talking about. A man's sex life should be private, why did this kid want to know what the hell was going on?

"Eww, gross, Grandpa. You said you'd tell us a story."

"And I will, if you stop grilling me about my dick." All of them shut up, and as I popped the top of my beer, I took a long hard drink. That shit rotated less than three seconds in my mouth before I sprayed it out all over the tactless fucks sitting in front of me.

"What the fuck is this shit?" I asked, trying to read the label. Honey-brewed was as far as I got before dropping the bottle to the floor. It didn't shatter but fell over, the liquid piss covering the floor. The tree desecrator came over to lap at it. If that was what it needed to shit gold, it had to leave.

"Grandpa, you said you wanted a beer. Do you want me to go grab you an Ensure?" _Now he wants to make up?_

"No, Mr. Insensitive. I want you to grab me a beer, a manly beer, boy! Not some forbidden shit that's not supposed to be in the fucking house." A kid stood up, slapping MI in the back of the head for me.

"Geez, Shane. Grandma said not to give him anything with honey in it. You grabbed the wrong type." The brainiac started to leave and as much as I wanted a beer, I had to make one of the only rules I had blunt.

"All of you, sit your asses down. I don't give a fuck what you say, but you will not utter the _H_ word in my house, got it?" Not all of them sat, but at least I had their attention.

"Hell?" Asked the stupid one, rubbing the back of his head. That boy better hope he imprinted quickly or no pussy would stay around long enough to finish the horizontal bed sheet tango required for life. The rest clearly knew what I was referring to.

"No, he's talking about the, uh, beer flavor." Whoever it was, stood up and grabbed the piss licker.

"Somebody go get a towel to clean this up before Monet makes himself sick." I had news for him; that creature was already sick, trying to get back down to digest the mess on the floor. They also cleared out the little leprechaun's tree booty before reassembling onto the couch.

"So you want to know about werewolves, huh?" I couldn't contain my giddiness over what they were asking for.

"Well yeah, the council's been talking a lot about it. What's your take on our legends, Grandpa?" I couldn't understand why they weren't as excited as I was. Maybe a little shock was in order.

"Every single one of them is true. We are wolves; I was too back in the day. But that's not important. Once you become wolves, most of it's easy. The tricky part is imprinting."

"Imprinting?"

"Ohhhh yeah." I drawled out, my voice deepening as I remembered the first time I had seen my Bear.

"It's what happens to a wolf when he finds the only person he'll ever want to sleep with again. Actually, the mate will be the only person he can ever sleep with." _Sleep!_ What a laugh. I had to make sure they knew what I was talking about, but I couldn't just start out with the graphic terms.

"Why? What does the mate do? Keep you in a chastity belt?" I lowered my head in shame over the snarky one's misgivings. _Had they never been to a toy shop? _I tried again.

"Even if you wanted to, and you won't, you wouldn't be able to get it up." _Lord, help me if..._

"Get what up?" The stupid one asked, while the rest just groaned. I jerked back up, once again doubting he was one of mine.

"Your dick, boy. What the hell do you think we're talking about?" _What the hell ever happened to sex-ed?_

"Imprinting! I didn't realize it was a sexual term." The defensiveness had all of us laughing well, except for stupid. I was the last one to stop. Imprinting was the golden rule to sex.

"It's not just a sexual term but that's the most important part. If you remember anything, remember this: You never want to leave your mate unsatisfied. I plan on teaching you everything you could possibly need to keep your sex puppy happy."

"I think the term you're looking for is sex kitten." All of them were nodding in agreement and once again I was back to laughing.

"No, boy, it's not! Just ask Jake about it, that's probably one of his least favorite terms." Still chuckling over that lark, the next one moved the conversation back on track.

"So what you're going to tell us is only for imprinting?" Such seriousness and wastefulness all wrapped up together. If I was going to hand over the key to fabulous sex, they better be using it somewhere.

"Hell no. I guess if you wanted to, and you better, you should practice it with others. Just remember once it actually occurs with an imprint, it'll be the greatest pleasure one can get." I doubted if I could get Bear to come out and agree. But when we were bumpin bunnies, she'd hit notes high enough to make Mariah Carey jealous.

"Look, gramps. Last week I spent the night with three beautiful women in the same bed. No one was complaining and I seriously doubt the pleasure from just one could make up what it's like with three." _Three! Holy Shit!_ This one was definitely one of mine, the smug dork.

"Say all the shit you want, Mr. Cocky. But I'm telling you, after you imprint, you will not be interested in fucking anything or anyone else."

"Whatever, old man. I'm outta here. I don't need to be scarred for life by hearing ramblings about you and grandma getting it on." Like a whirlwind, he had left the couch and was heading for the door.

"Sit your ass down. I would never be so tactless. No, I'm going to tell you the imprint story of Jacob Black and his wife, Bella." Three of them turned to stare at the one that said he was, but wasn't really one of mine.

"Maybe you should excuse Charlie then. I doubt he wants to hear the story about his other Grandparents." Mr. Cocky replied, walking back to sit down.

"Are all of you deaf?" I yelled, wondering why they had asked for a story if all they wanted to do was leave. It was my god given right to explain sex and everything that went with it.

"Chucky, you're one of mine so you need to hear this too." I held up my hand before they could interrupt, all four had their mouths open, ready to counter what I had just said.

"Zip your fucking lips, stay seated and let me tell you of an adventure you won't find in any of our history." All of them fell silent, closing their traps as I geared up to start at the beginning.

"Well, there we were, Jake and I, at the airport coming back home from one of his conferences or what not. I tell you what, if you don't imprint you'd be wise to follow in his footsteps. That boy sampled so much international pussy, frequent flier miles numbered the woman, not the distance traveled." I had seen a lot of it, and damn! The variety he had was enough to tempt any horny guy. Some people had jokingly referred to him as a manwhore, but that boy was just lucky!

"So there we were, getting ready to go find our luggage and leave, when all of the sudden..."

"Dinner's ready, boys." My Bear called out from the kitchen. You would have thought she had announced that naked chicks were being served, as fast as the lads left the room laughing and shoving each other good naturedly.

"Come on, Ryan. Let's go." One of the mutants mocked, pulling on the arm of his brethren. The abductee responded in kind, pushing right back.

"Shut up, Cody. Why don't you go pick on Chucky?" Both of the weirdos laughed before disappearing in the next room behind the other two.

Sighing, I got up to join the herd in the kitchen. Well, fuck! I thought their names were River and Charlie. Maybe I could get Bear to write out name tags for them to wear?


	34. Outtake: Squil

I beg of you, before you read, take notice. Quil has no mouth or mind filter whatsoever. I, in no way, shape or form condone such slanderous thoughts, racist names or stereo-types. Please understand that before reading and if you can't, don't read. :D

* * *

Quil's POV

Kennewick, WA

Thumping my fingers against the steering wheel, I counted slowly to myself waiting for the clock to strike eleven. Any other place would have been open by nine but not this dive. They boasted the hours of eleven to five on Tuesday through Friday. Maybe you really could sell enough algae throughout the week to allow for three-day weekends. Shit, I had brought enough cash to keep this place in business for at least a month.

I had searched high and low across the state in search of what should have been an easy item to acquire. Call after call had come up blank; each place apologizing, but having a suggestion of where else to try. A few were circular paths, each place giving me a previously contacted establishment. Some were even dead ends; in which case, I'd have to choose a new city and start all over.

At least I was fucking lucky enough to have kept it contained to the state I lived in. Or maybe I wasn't considering Washington was a big ass fucking state. I guess I could be somewhat thankful that this shit town was located on a major highway. Had I been required to drive through shit roads and never ending fucking forests without another vehicle in sight, I would have gone bat-ass bonkers.

Snickering to myself, I revised that last thought. _Make that bait-ass bonkers._

Scrolling through the channels of Sirius, I had to give props to Neil Armstrong. If his pansy ass hadn't gone to space, I wouldn't be blessed with satellite radio. It was the little things in life that made everything so worth it.

Hitting the number four pre-set button, I leaned back in my seat to enjoy the entertainment of Howard Stern. There was a brief pause, which meant they were changing segments, and I was kinda happy not to miss the beginning. The shit that started to flow, though, was not Howard. Fuck, it wasn't even an older version of stuttering John. No, this crap was a retarded oldies station one of the guys must have obviously reset just to piss me off. Before I could change the damn channel, some weird ass lyrics started to play. I froze as the words began to register.

_Fuuuuck me! This is a piece of genius._

Some whiny bitch was singing about belonging to an undersea garden full of octopus. _Hell yeah, buddy. Me too! _Even Jake, in all of his perfectness crap, couldn't deny this was a sign from above. _Thank You, Neil Armstrong. _The screen said it was a Beatles song and I had to give out one more pimpin' prayer: _Thank You, John Hairy- Ringed Star._

Once the song was done, I had to flip to a different channel. The soothing tones of Primus singing about a beaver set the mood. Finally, finally! The shit-hole opened. It was only twelve minutes after eleven, but I guess I couldn't be too pissed off. They had what I wanted.

Hoping out of my ride, a very sweet rebuilt Nova, I locked the doors and headed to the building. Man, this neighborhood was almost as shitty as Cupcake's was and for the millionth time I gave thanks that I was such an awesome, fucking werewolf. _Heavy emphasis on the fucking part, according to Claire._ Punk-assed bitches would think twice before attempting to fuck with my ride, especially if they saw what I looked like.

Pushing the door open, a tiny bell jingled and I jumped. Not from the tinkling, but from the putrid smell that met my smell-buds. Holy shit, did these assholes have a body stashed somewhere? God, if I hadn't spent the last few months observing the shit Jake was forced to eat by his imprint, I probably would have fucking spewed all over the front entrance.

"Can I help you?" Some emo-chick asked me, walking up one of the narrow aisles. Her ass defined Goth, from the multiple layers of black clothing, dyed black pigtails and enough silver pierced into her face to produce a truckload of quarters. Fuck, I didn't even think she could blink with, _one, two, three_…six studs dangling out of her eyebrows.

"Umm, yeah, I'm here to get a pet fish," I stated, wondering what other lame-ass reason a person would walk into a building lined with tanks.

"Oh, well let me show you," she replied, ignorant to how funny I had found her question.

Following behind her, I was greeted with a Mackerel's Mecca. _Note to self: Give Buddha's belly a lick for gratitude_. This place was the equivalent to Pan's perch-infested labyrinth. Rows upon rows of huge water tanks sat everywhere in some weirdo, geek-understood-only way. Damn, did I forget to grab a visitor's map? This place better have a yellow bitchin' brick road to show me the way out.

Hearing the gurgling of the many water systems I couldn't help but think of the infamous line: _Bubble, bubble, toilet trouble_. Snickering to myself, I remembered it as some line from Willie Shake's retarded play "Mack Seth". Guess he hadn't been too fond of pet stores either, although I didn't remember any fish from it. Maybe that's what the bloody knife had been about: a bad fish scaling the prince did. The good news was that any of these living crit's looked like they were easily flushable just in case my illustrious Alpha thought I was somehow in the wrong_. _

_Fucking hypocrite._

Somewhere in the recesses of this place, emo-chick stopped to get my attention before pointing out the merchandise. "We have goldfish, catfish, guppies, Oscars, neons, archerfish, butterfly fish, tetras, cichlids, barbs, loaches…"

_Holy fuck! I get it, lady. You guys have fishes._ Now I just needed to figure out what the hell they might else be referred to so I could sound like I knew what the fuck I was talking about. The guy I had spoken to last week hadn't said any fucking thing about a pop-quiz beforehand.

Remembering that the item in question was somewhat aggressive, I threw it out there.

"Umm, I'm looking for a mean son of a bitch. Something that prefers solitude," I requested smartly.

Emo stopped talking for all 3.7 seconds before brightening up. "You must mean a Japanese fighting fish. Follow me and I'll show you what we have."

_Yes! Now we were getting somewhere._ Those crazy Orientals ate these things; even Jake had said so. Leading me over to a shelf lined with tiny cups of water, I halted.

_What the fuck…_

Blues, purples, magentas, teals, reds and pinks floated in plastic Tupperware. They glittered like vampires, looked bored as fuck and clearly weren't aggressive. Unless dying from sheer boredom was considered an aggressive tactic.

_Kind of like school…or Jake._

"What the hell are these? I'm not looking for some underwater rainbow collation mascot. Are you shitting me? They look like flowers with scales."

"Are you sure it's a freshwater fish you're looking for? Cause we have a lot of saltwater fish that can be considered aggressive. Lionfish, tangs, we have saltwater butterfly fish also, triggers, angels, damsels, clowns, groupers, blennies, stonefish but we don't currently have any, rays, box fish, parrots and-"

"Lady, did you not hear me? I said I wanted a fish not a bird," Rolling my eyes at her stupidity, I watched as she blinked a few times.

"A bird?" She asked me, clearly not paying attention to the fact that this was a fish store.

"Yeah, you said parrot; one of those huge squawking creatures that sits on a perch, throwing peanuts at you." I stopped to flap my arms, indicating wings. "I'm not interested in that; I want a fish!" I couldn't help but wonder how she even managed to keep this job and refrained from making a goldfish face, least she get all fucking confused again about what the hell I was here for.

"Parrot fish aren't birds. Look!"

Marching towards a different path, she pointed to a huge tank with equally huge fish. _Well call me_ _fucktard, she was right_. Although in all fairness they were kinda of sparkly too and sure as fuck couldn't be flushed. Jake may not be Eisenhower-smart but if I got caught, I couldn't pass those off as sushi.

"Do you remember the name of the fish you're looking for? As a beginner aquarist, you might want to reconsider and start with a freshwater species. Even an easy saltwater fish can be tricky to stabilize. Have you already purchased a tank? We have kits over here."

Oh shit, she knew! Somehow she had figured out I had never had a pet fish before; I had to be smart about this.

"No, I already have a tank set-up. I've been doing this a while, I know what I'm doing with the tank." It was the handling I didn't have a clue about.

"Can you tell me what it might look like then? The fish you're trying to purchase."

"It's a mollusk," I replied triumphantly. _Almost like a fish; they both lived underwater._ "And it likes to cuddle," I added for emphasis.

_Looking good, Quil._

"A cuddling mollusk? I have no idea…unless…are you talking about a cuttlefish?" Emo asked excitedly.

Oh shit, that sounded promising; an affectionate nickname for a wriggling blob.

"Yep, that would be it. Cuddle fish; the cute octopus ones," I clarified. My luck, the lady would try to give me one that was a non-cuddler.

"They're in the same family but they're different species. We don't carry either type but we do have some eels…"

_An eel?_ I thought to myself as she went on to describe some sort of slim-Jim with teeth. Fuck no! I wanted my tentacles worth in sea life and an eel was lacking; eight to be exact!

"Is Joe here?" I interrupted Emo during her head-banging slurring about the importance of caves. "I spoke to him last week and he said he'd have a cuddling octopus for me."

Shit! I had hoped I wouldn't have to see Joe. That bitch had sounded like he had just returned from that nuked city in Europe, Cherry-Noble. Their home wasn't so noble any more, but I bet they had huge-ass fucking cherries with the radiation and all. I felt kinda bad for those people.

Not as bad as I felt for myself at that exact second, caught between Morticia-Emo-Addams with her never ending sales speech or Mutant Joe, who had remained quiet for most of our conversation on the phone, but understood completely when I told him I required the most powerful one on the market. Then he started talking like his lips were attached to some type of decoder. No idea what the hell he had been implying other than he could handle my request. The rest of it probably had been Russian.

"Ohhh, umm, say no more please," Emo-chick stuttered. "Let me go get him for you, I'll be right back."

She disappeared behind the back curtain, leaving me to stare at the poser-parrots. Why the hell anyone would want one, I'd never fucking know. Damn, a moron could hang prisms in the fucking wind and save themselves the trouble of feedings! I felt sorry for the assholes too stupid to figure that out in the first fucking place. The world was just full of dumb-asses.

Emo-chick didn't come back out, but Joe did. I could hear her whisper the words "special customer" like I was a retarded kid, and I damn near laughed when he stomped into the room, glaring at me like I was a piece of shit instead.

Joe looked like he was twenty years too late for the Hell's Angels. He was several inches shorter than me, probably fifty pounds heavier and defiantly had that 'The Hills Have Eyes' look to him.

"Yeah," he grumbled out, sucking his teeth. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Quil. We spoke on the phone last week." Holding out my hand for a greeting, he just glared at it before returning to stare at me. "Remember, last week? I asked about certain type of fish and you said you had it," I hinted, hoping he didn't have 'can't remember shit' disease.

"Fish? We gots lots of fish, buddy. If you don't see it, then we don't got it." Joe turned and started to leave. I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, his body tensing instantly.

I was just as pissed as Joe was. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what the hell kind of game he was playing. He had to remember me; how many calls did he get for octopus?

"I called three hundred and forty-six mother-fucking places for this fish. I have driven seven hours on the promise that you would have it. Here I am, so you better fucking chalk it up," I growled, low and menacing.

All I needed was four minutes of this asshole's time and then he could go back to licking his… _coffee cans?_ Sniffing the air, I recognized what it was. Joe had more than just an over-eager caffeine habit_. Wonder how long ago he was visiting south of the border?_

"Easy there, partner. No disrespect intended. If you could follow me back here, I'll get what you're looking for. I just had to be sure."

"Nice," I commented, not caring about anything, but my about-to-be-purchased pet.

Releasing his shoulder, I followed him to the back room where holy shit, it actually smelled worse than the front. There were other tanks here too, looked a little bit like fish whore-houses, but whatever. At the end of the Cod-Inn trail, was a set of tanks covered in tarp.

"You realize that this is a rare specimen, do you not? These fuckers are hard to come by and trust me, it'll cost a pretty penny."

"Dude, I know. You said two K and I brought it. I told you, I need this to take care of my girl and you promised me that this was the best kind, right?"

"Well, yeah, I did. However, I figured you were some type of geeky science dude looking for an easy out. I don't want to hear your reasoning, but you look like a man who could find other resources to take care of a pesky girlfriend."

Deciding we had already fought enough, I let the word pesky go. Claire was in no way pesky, more like perky.

"My girl deserves the finest and I hope to accomplish that with this little gem. Now lemme see it."

He pulled the tarp off of the tanks, showing three sitting in a column formation on a piss-poor bookcase, if a schmuck called plywood and cinder blocks a bookcase. Only the top tank was lit and I nearly reeled back when its squatter floated close to the outside glass.

"Fuck me, dude! You got a bitchin', mythical seaweed monster." I could only stare in awe as some weird, awesome looking, dragon-branch thing passed. You couldn't see the flipper thingies unless you looked close, but this mother-fucker was a camo-specialist's wet dream. Even with my werewolf senses, I wouldn't be able to spot it in a yard.

"Oh, the Leafy sea-dragon. Yeah there's a huge band on those. He's not for sale, though. I got your weapon down here." Bending over, I jumped back thinking the homo was making some pass at me and reaching for my dick. Thank Jesus-walking-water-Christ, he was aiming for the bottom tank. Flicking on another light, the tank illuminated and showed…sand. That bitch better be able to turn fucking invisible or I just might rethink the whole kicking biker baldy in the face.

"Man, I'm three seconds away from becoming all Hercules and smashing your face in. Where the hell is my fish?" I demanded.

"If you kneel down, you'll see him. They're vicious, cunt-killing cephalopods. They have to be kept in a smaller container until you can dump them into their permanent tanks. You sure you know what you're doing with it?"

"How hard can it be? I'm sure I'll figure it out along the way." Looking back at Joe, he gave me an odd look. "What, do you have any pointers?" I asked, before wishing I could bite my own fucking tongue off. If Joe had any 'pointers', I so didn't want to see that fucking shit, ever!

"Are you asking me if I ever used one of these for an…ulterior purpose?" He asked, giving off some weird vibes. This was to add some funk to the bedroom and I needed to man the fuck up. Claire would be more than thankful.

"Well, maybe just a little. A friend mentioned them in a very un-detailed convo we had, but he wouldn't give any specifics. But he did have a shit-eating grin while talking about it and he's all about class and shit," I rambled, trying to relive that day in Jake's shitty 'This is going to win my imprint's heart' apartment.

_Fucking hypocrite!_

"No, I haven't. But even if I had, I sure as hell wouldn't be admitting that shit; friend or not."

"Well fine. No specifics or anything, but have you ever heard of someone using one for this purpose."

"I may have heard somewhere, through idle chatter, mind you, of an individual attempting this. He was on his honey-moon though and found his bitch, sucking off his best man. Pre-nups had already been signed so it had to look natural; good thing they were in the south Pacific or the feds would have locked his ass up before he even stepped off the plane."

Squid shits, again! If getting your junk jollied by a Nemo-wannabe was a Fed worthy offense, Jake would definitely tear my ass up.

_Fucking hypocrite_!

"Yeah, okay, I get it. Can I see it though? I'd like to make sure this fucker's alive and not some left-over sushi special you brought into work."

Grabbing a pair of rubber gloves- _what the fuck? Was he going to wash some dishes first-_ he unlocked the tank and pulled off the top. Bobbing on the top of the tank was a plastic container. It had holes in the top for the fucker to breath water. Pulling it out of the tank, some of the water splashed around and Joe gave a shaky laugh.

"Gotta be careful there. Don't want any accidents, huh?" He asked me before standing up. I could only nod my head in agreement, having no doubt that octopus piss was nasty.

Maybe I should have spent more time studying the creatures; this one looked dead. And small. The more I studied it, the less confident I began to feel. It was fucking tiny, like a goddamn sea monkey on 'roids. Probably four inches at the most, it just huddled like a suspended lugi in water; to the point that I couldn't even see any tentacles, much less count them.

"Is this a baby or did it have some run-in with a boat propeller? Maybe I'm missing something unless he's like an X-men character and can stretch his tentacles to be bigger, it's not gonna work."

"Kid, all you have to do is touch her with it just once. Mother Nature will take care of the rest," Joe explained, allowing me to only slightly relax.

Yeah, Momma N had a lot of tricks up her sleeves, or bush, whatever. But she also gave me a tail and just 'tail'… _not the point._ None of this shit came with manuals despite the fact that it was supposed to be automatically understood. Hell, Penthouse proved that at least once a month; doubly so with anniversary issues.

Still staring at the cage, I started to have doubts. I'm not an idiot; I know that something this small was not in my best interest and Claire would be pissed if I blew this much cash for a sex toy that might not deliver. _Damn it! Jake had looked so fucking happy though…_

_Fucking hypocrite!_

Before I gave this guy anything, I wanted to see some sort of trick. Reaching out, I tapped the glass in hopes of squid-let here stretching or some shit. I was not prepared for Joe to freak the second my fingers touched the plastic.

"Are you insane, kid?" Joe yelled, jumping back and more water splashing about. "Christ, I don't need a fucking dead client on my hands. You can play roulette on your own; once you've paid, left the damn store and driven far away from here!"

The second I had created vibes on the damn face of the cage, the wriggling wonder had responded. The nasty yellow, snot-ball colored, goober lit up and its skin started flashing these neon colored blue rings. That was kinda impressive, but the best part was he really did have eight tentacles. They uncurled and floated behind him as he swam around. He didn't look like he could fit around me though and unless he had an extension cord to ramp up his power, his little sucker things were a no-go.

"Sorry, dude, I think you misunderstood me. That," I stated, pointing to the creature, "Is not going to work. I need something bigger."

"Trust me, kid, it's not about the size here. This little guy can take out twenty-five people without breaking a sweat. He's your man, alright."

_Ewww. Not only did they piss but they sweated? No fucking thanks._

"No, he isn't. Put him back under the tarp, I don't want him," I admitted dejectedly.

"Fine, kid. You don't want him; I have plenty of other people that will. But don't come back here, wishing you had done this the easy way, when you're caught red-handed with a smoking gun."

"Dude, are you making fun of my people?" I asked, getting pissed again.

_This whole fucking trip was wasted and this asshole wanted to run his fucking trap about the color of my skin?_

"Kid, I don't want or need to know anything about 'your' people. If you ain't buying, leave. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to introduce you to another lethal creature; my Desert Eagle," he threatened, placing the cage down on a nearby table and reaching towards his hip.

_Dear fucking feathers! The man was going to intimidate me with his dick? That he named?_ I had to leave right fucking now! This was way too sick even for my tastes.

"I'm leaving, dude," I stated while walking backwards towards the doorway we had entered. Fuck a brick road; maybe I could just follow the scent of my car to the front door? "But the next time you tell someone you have killer octopus, you should probably specify they're only BB gun size." With that, I turned and ran towards what I hoped was the front-fucking door.

Getting back into my sweet Nova, I realized I never should have listened to Jake. Him being Alpha and all probably meant only he could play with squids and shit.

_Fucking hypocrite! _

Throwing my car into gear, I took off to head home. Not half a block away and I noticed the fucking cops approaching quickly. God-damn it! There was no way in hell I had been speeding and my tags were up to date. Pulling over, I watched as they stopped at…the pet store? What the hell was that about it? I watched as a S.W.A.T. team jumped out of a van and raided the place in full riot gear.

_Guess old Joe there had waved his 'Desert Eagle' to the wrong dude._

Not wanting to stay and watch, I pulled back into traffic in hopes of being able to meet up with my Claire-Bear before she decided to go out with Sara for some girl's only shit. At least I had something to think about on my boring trip home.

_If a guy's junk is used as a weapon, do they make him seal it up in a plastic baggie until he appears in court? Did the jurors have to actually see the live version or did those lawyers take pictures of it?_

Man it was nice not to be a freak.

* * *

A/N. ROFL! Yes, Quil is not the brightest cookie out there, hence his less than accurate use of infamous quotes and people.

For those who wish to know or may care: Blue-ringed octopi are real. I've read a lot of conflicting reports on whether or not you can actually buy one legally in the U.S., so I don't know. They are very dangerous and it is generally believed that you must actually be bitten by one to suffer from the effects of neurotoxin that it produces. The majority of web sites say that it acts very quickly and unless you can get to a hospital and be put on a ventilator until the toxin wears off- usually for two weeks - you will die from asphyxiation. There is no anti-venom for a bite sustained by a blue-ringed octopus.

Leafy sea-dragons are also real and very beautiful. Again, as far as I know, they are illegal to purchase as they are somewhat an endangered species.

Last, but sure as hell not least: Vatan's story is up as well "Meow Myth". It isn't finished but it is a beginning. Check it out and let me know. I've also posted a new tale titled "Ineffable" in case you didn't know. It's a multi-chapter fic between Quil and Bella. *snicker* The plot bunnies went wild and it's still a WIP. A few other one-shots have been up as well that are feeling lonely.

Oops, one other thing. I'm looking for a pre-reader who not only enjoys Harry Potter but is a native Brit. I need help curbing my Americanisms in it. No worries if you're comma illiterate like me. I need help with the words, not the punctuation. ;D


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